A Voice Forgotten
by DinoRaws
Summary: When Ichigo Kurosaki finds Rukia Kuchiki collasped on the ground, his family takes care of her. When she recovers the next day, Rukia starts to befriend Ichigo and his friends, however, the slowly begin to forget who Rukia is and Ichigo wants to know why.
1. A New Voice

**Well, hello to you! Just to be straight forward this is my very first IchiRukia fanfic! I've always wrote fanfics of Matt and Mimi from Digimon :P But that doesn't mean you should be nice to my work if you find it uninteresting to your taste! I hope you enjoy this story that I have composed together! Enjoy reading everyone~! :) **

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><p>(( Chapter 1: A New Voice ))<p>

_...Where are you?_

_...Why won't you come back home?_

"H-Hey!" A new voice. She couldn't tell who it was but she opened her eyes as much as she could possibly, yet it was a blur from her vision she couldn't get a clear view on the owner of the new voice. "Are you ok?" His voice was new. She had to look at the owner. He was there, a young man with a high school uniform and his eyes were unforgettable. Like his bleached hair. It was enough for her to see just a glimpse of the owner of the new voice, now she could rest. "HEY!"

_...Why are you there?_

_...Do you have a purpose of being there?_

"A purpose...?" Her voice was faint but it was enough to enlighten those who took her into their house and watched over her. Her eyes saw the people, a family of people, an eccentric father, ferternal twins and the boy with bleached hair...the owner of the new voice.

"We're glad that you're ok!" A girl smiled at her holding a kitchen utensil in her petite hand. "I made you some food to eat! I'll go get it ready for you!" She rushed over to the kitchen in the other side of the house.

Viewing the ceiling, she slowly lifted herself up from a medical bed the small family had. From her surroundings of one part of the house it resembled a clinic. Shelves that carried medical supplies and instruments. Cabinets that were probably filled with gowns and blankets and pillows to take out. A small family clinic was far from where she was supposed to be at, she was searching for a person, an important person yet she couldn't remember who it was. But she knew she had to find someone important to her. "Hey, are you feeling any better?" It was the boy with bleached hair, he sat on a stool besides her bed.

"Where...is this?" Her head turned left to right viewing the different furniture in the house.

"My house,"

"Your house is a clinic...?"

"It's my dad's business," It was the father's business, he didn't seem like a doctor from the way he acted towards his daughters. But she assumed he was from the white coat he wore on his shoulders. "Are you feeling ok? I found you collasped on the streets."

Collasped on the streets? What could have possibly made her collapse on the streets so suddenly, it's the first time she'd done that. Whatever the reason she couldn't be here right now, she had to find her important person whoever it was! Removing the sheets from her lap and sliding off the bed, she noticed that her body had indeed become weak. Her legs were unable to support her properly, luckily the boy with bleached hair caught her in time. "Hey, you shouldn't be so rash!" He supported her back to the bed covering her lap with the white sheets. "You're not in any shape to leave just yet."

She gazed at both of her hands seeing them tremble. It concerned her the most about her physical well being, just yesterday she was full of energy but now...what was going on with her? "What's wrong with me...?" She whispered quietly to herself putting her hands back on her covered lap.

"Now I remember," He exclaimed in a cheerful way. "You're our new transfer student that we got yesterday!" Transfer student? "You're Rukia! Kuchiki Rukia!"

She looked up at him with a surprised face tainting his face a little color of red. He hadn't expected her to react in such a way when he mentioned her name. At least he knew who she was but it wasn't clear on who he was.

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, I'm your classmate."

"Kurosaki...Ichigo," It was the name of the new voice she heard earlier. This man didn't look much but she was in debt to him after he rescued her from the streets while being almost unconscious for that matter. This man with orange bleached hair was named Ichigo. And these people were his family. They each were lively, she never recalled a memory when her family was lively like this. It was uncomfortable at first but at her own pace she enjoyed being here. It was a warm touch to her heart. The dinner she had with the family had been entertaining as father and son bickered over the most ridiculous things, the sisters only watched with delight. It was a weird family but that made this family different.

"Oh by the way Rukia, since you're not in any shape to go anywhere I'll make Ichigo set up the futon for you before going to sleep!"

"Ah? Why can't you do it?"

"Because what the doctor says, goes!" The father exclaimed snickering straight at his son, already pumped up for a physical match with his son Ichigo. It was to his dismay that his children all ignored him, he whined to a framed poster of his late wife. She was beautiful to Rukia, Ichigo resembled his mother instead of his father. During the entire dinner time, the family went at it again and again until it was time for everyone to rest, especially Rukia. She was the first to excuse herself to sleep for the night. It was no doubt that Rukia would fall instantly asleep on her futon that she volunteered to get herself. Falling asleep with the pajamas Ichigo's sister, Yuzu, gave her to borrow had fit perfectly. Now it was a good chance to rest her body.

_...When are you coming back home?_

_...You must come to me before they find out. _

_...Come back to me, before you vanish Rukia._

Beep! Beep! Beep! Be-!

The sound of the alarm clock woke her up as she viewed the ceiling of her dark room she rested well in. The futon she slept on had better padding then she had expected and the blankets were nice and warm to her body. She slowly sat up from her futon rubbing her eyes wide awake and removing the blankets away from her warm legs. After a long quiet yawn she had regained what happened yesterday. She had collasped on the streets where Ichigo had found her, and then his father Isshin and sisters Karin and Yuzu looked after her even if she was just a stranger. She had forgotten to thank them yesterday! When she slid open the door, there he was already making his bed but suddenly stopped to look at surprise he found this very morning in his closet. "Good morning, Ichigo! Thank you for taking care of me last night!"

"Were you sleeping in my closet!" Ichigo surely hadn't expected to find that his classmate was sleeping the entire night in his closet. It wasn't normal for one to sleep in it, to start it off. But maybe she wasn't normal seeing on how she collasped on the streets but that wasn't her fault either.

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes-,"

"I didn't think so now," Rukia interrupted carefully sliding down from the closet space that she had been peacefully sleeping the entire time. After folding the blankest on the futon she slid the closte door shut. "Hurry up and change! We're leaving in five minutes!"

"Ah!" Ichigo didn't understand the meaning of her demands. "You can't command me like that! School doesn't even start for another hour!" Up until now, he never knew the type of person she was really.

"Precisely! We're leaving in five minutes, so hurry and change, Ichigo!" Rukia clapped her hands twice indicating him to hurry before being kicked out of his room. When she had her time to change back into her newly clean uniform that Ichigo's sister washed over night, she returned the pajamas back to her thanking her for all the deeds her family had done for her. Just like last's night dinner, the family bickering had made it to the conversation regarding why Rukia had slept in Ichigo's room. It was a relief to Ichigo mostly that it was time for him and Rukia to leave for school. Walking alongside together in a calm conversation they finally reached to their school.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" A classmate caught the attention of both Rukia and Ichigo. She was rather a cheerful person with a delightful smile stretching across her face, she was followed by her best friend who seemed rather tomboyish from the start.

"G'morning Inoue, Tatsuki."

"Oh Ichigo," Tatsuki smiled at Rukia, who had a blank face. "Is she transferring to our school today?"

"Huh?" Ichigo had been puzzled by Tatsuki's words. Didn't they remember her from yesterday? "You guys...don't remember? She transferred to our school just yesterday, she's Kuchiki Rukia!"

"Kuchiki...Rukia?" Orihime slowly spoke the repeated name to see if it triggered a memory. But nothing had happened, when the three looked upon Rukia, her facial expression wasn't of shock or a blank one, it was a facial expression of sadness.

"I don't remember her. I'm sorry..."

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><p><strong>Alright that concludes the first chapter! I hope it wasn't TOO boring for your taste. Like I said before it's my first IchiRukia fanfic so go ahead and be straight forward in critizing my work :) Critics make me a stronger writer. So tell me your thoughts! Again, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter to stay for the next!<br>-DinoRaws **


	2. Arcade

**(: Thank you for reading my story! I know you have questions towards the voice but I'm postive that you will all know who it is before the end of this story. Sadly, it will not be in the early chapters but I'm sure enough you will figure it out before the end or have a guess of who it is! Alright here is the second chapter, enjoy and thank you for reading!  
><strong>

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><p>(( Chapter 2: Arcade )) <p>

It bothered him throughout his morning classes in school. How could an entire classroom forget that Kuchiki Rukia had transferred to school just yesterday? It didn't seem right at all...was he just imagining it all? Perhaps it was a dream that he dreamt? It just didn't make any sense to him at all; it just puzzled his mind more and more as he thought of it.

"Ichigo, you've been dazing out since this morning! Is something wrong?"

He turned his head over to his friend that sometimes sat next to him during their lunch hour together. His friend was the most energetic of all of them. But he was always like that even in the most stressful situations. "Yea I'm alright Keigo," Ichigo reassured him popping in his bendy straw through the aluminum hole in his juice box. He held it in his hand gazing upon it still wandering aimlessly at the Rukia situation. It felt so real when Rukia transferred to their class just yesterday, everything was real, he was sure of it. But then again, no one had recognized or even remembered Rukia until today. He closed his eyes tightly grunting over the bewildering thought.

"You have an older brother Rukia?" Orihime's face enlightened hearing this news. "What's his name? What's he like?"

"His name is Kuchiki Byakuya," Rukia held her own juice box in her lap, timid to say traits about her older brother to complete strangers like themselves. She always knew who he was as a person, a man with the face of success and always serious in matters of everything. Her older brother always worked in his office even after hours to get his papers done, he had to impress others in the sake of his new promotion he recently received. Despite working practically nonstop, he would always come home to Rukia. In his own way, he showed that he did care for Rukia. "He isn't the type of person to express his feelings, but he does take care of those who are important to him."

"Ah so he's that kind of person, so what about your parents Rukia?"

"Sorry but I don't remember them," With a hurtful smile she shrugged in hopes of all of them to change the topic during the lunch hour. Even if she didn't have any parents to remember, she had always considered Byakuya as a parent to her. He was the closest thing to a father, she preferred him being her bother instead. Lunch hour had finished and time had flown by during the afternoon classes as well. Finished with school, Ichigo and Rukia walked together afterschool bidding their goodbyes to their friends. The two classmates walked side by side in the middle of the city with shops packed with customers every minute. Ichigo averted his attention to down to Rukia; she had been gloomy the moment they dispersed away from their friends so it made Ichigo uncomfortable and a bit agitated that she was gloomy.

He looked for a place to cheer up the gloomy Rukia so far none of the shops he looked were the shops to rid of Rukia's gloomy state. Left to right there wasn't a single busy shop to take Rukia in yet when they were barely passing by a few shops, he spotted the one in the middle. It was perfect to cheer her up! He grabbed her thin arm pulling her back in the direction of the shop.

"Ichigo! What are you doing?" Even if she didn't like being pulled against her own will, trying to lift his fingers off her arm had been impossible. And when they stopped in front of the shop, she was finally released from his firm grip.

"The Arcade," He looked up at the bright and fun sign hanging above their heads. "This is the place that my friends and I come when we have a bad day."

"I didn't have a bad day today," Rukia crossed her arms against her chest tapping her shoes on the pavement twice.

"You're a stubborn liar," He muttered loud enough for Rukia to hear and before she could remark on his comment, he went behind and pushed her inside the arcade.

It had been Rukia's first time inside an Arcade and she never knew how much fun and entertaining it could be all these wondering years. She never had the chance to come play games with her past friends since all her focuses were on her studies, just how her brother expected of her. But to come and experience this seemed the joy in her world. The games that were introduced to Rukia by Ichigo were delightful some were a bit confusing to follow or some were just being "not fair and cheating". The games that both Ichigo and Rukia played against each other had a surprising ending to each of them, Rukia had won all of them despite being a first time player. It really did frustrate Ichigo alright. Game after game she had the best time of her life and wishing they had time in their hands it was back on the road to their homes. Coming out from the arcade, Rukia had looked over her shoulder glancing at the arcade before leaving and as she was leaving her very own keen eyes had spotted out a certain arcade machine. She had to play it.

"ICHIGO!" Rukia yelled his name out in such a loud voice it startled not only him but the others that were nearby were a bit jumpy.

"W-what happened!"

Rukia had been too excited to even tell Ichigo why she yelled his name out in such a loud tone, she quickly ran over the left of the entrance to the arcade and then pressed her whole upper body against the glass window of the arcade machine. The arcade machine she pressed her body against was the most popular amongst people in which you had to move the machine's claw by using the joystick and adjusting it in hopes of snatching a prize below the claw. Rukia's eyes were set on a specific prize. When Ichigo walked up behind her, he looked over her shoulders viewing the different prizes that were behind the glass window. He wondered what stuffed animal prize she had in mind. Was it the giraffe that caught her eyes? Maybe the giant hippo...? Whatever it was, it surely caught her interest and liking. Well since it cheered her up even more then he did, it wouldn't hurt to let her try it out.

"Here," Ichigo grabbed the precise amount of money needed for the machine. "Knock yourself out." Without a second to think about it, Rukia snatched the money away from his hand putting it in the money slot. "You're welcome." He muttered.

Rukia jiggled the joy stick looking up at the machine's claw making sure it was working properly when it had she fiercely moved the joystick with such directions it had looked like Rukia was in the verge of breaking the machine with just two moves of the joy stick. And with just the press of the red button she glued her eyes on the claw as it dropped down on the medium sized prize had been wanting. When Ichigo saw it, his face had been irritated as he concluded he wasted his money over a ridiculous prize. Rukia opened the shutter door of the arcade machine grabbing in for her prize.

"Ch-Chappy~!" The bunny had a name? Ichigo watched as Rukia embraced the weird prize that Rukia had set her eyes on. It was because of this new doll named Chappy that Ichigo was going to see the secret of secrets Rukia hid from everyone. Except Ichigo. As she embraced her newly prized doll, Chappy, Rukia had went into the most difficult daze to ever come out from. The daze where a girl couldn't resist the sweet cuteness of Chappy the Bunny. "Chappy~"

Ichigo didn't completely understand the situation that he was in. Rukia had a face that he never seen before. "Rukia." The first time he called her name, there wasn't any response coming from Rukia, only the girlish and out of character girly sighs of holding such a doll. "Rukia," Again with a second call to her name, nothing had happened as a result. He couldn't believe the dazing phase that she had been in just by holding such a doll to her face. "Ru-Ki-A!" Even breaking her name down into three wasn't enough to transfer her daze to reality. An idea had flickered off in the mind of Ichigo. In his bag he reached down and pulled out the last of his juice box he conserved for later, he unwrapped the plastic cover from the bendy straw and using its sharp end, he poked the bendy straw into the aluminum hole and sipping out of it. Removing the straw from his mouth and using his steady hand he crouched down eye level to the short Rukia and successfully placed the straw up her nose. However, before having the chance of squeezing juice up her nose she had finally come out of her daze and within that moment Ichigo jerked his hand away behind his back.

She scrunched up her nose feeling the weird sensation. "Why does my nose feel like this?"

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked as Rukia closed her eyes to blow her nose with the hanker chef she pulled out from his school bag. He took the chance to turn around and throw the juice box in some random direction right before Rukia was done blowing her nose. After folding her hanker chef and placing it back in her school bag, she looked up at Ichigo with such an intense look. "What?"

"...I forgot what we were talking about."

"Is that it?" He sighed quietly to himself placing his arms behind his head. "Well, let's get going then!" Ichigo marched down the street once again with Rukia at his side. Rukia had carried her new Chappy doll in her arms feeling better than ever. Marching down the street the sun was beginning to set down, time had surely passed by while playing the games inside the arcade. When both Ichigo and Rukia stopped in the middle of a four way intersection, they looked up at the sun set seeing the calm cool colors. "You remember where my house is right?"

"The Kurosaki Clinic,"

"Right," He lowered his arms down to his sides looking down at Rukia. "If you ever get sick or just want to visit, you're welcome anytime." Rukia grinned nodding to his invitation. "Well, see ya." With a wave of his hand he walked off in the opposite direction that she was heading off to. Instead of to the right where Ichigo walked off into she went left to where her house was located at. Walking alone down the alley she held her Chappy doll tightly against her chest, but she wasn't scared of being alone she was only scared of being at home. At that's where she was at right now. She hadn't past the gate to her house she stood in front of it, gawking at the two story house with such sadness in her eyes. The name plate the fence had had only the name of 'Kuchiki', 'Byakuya' and 'Rukia'. The third name had been ripped off. She brought the Chappy doll up to her chin feeling the tears flow down her cheeks.

"Hisana, Byakuya. I'm sorry," Rukia muttered roughly wiping her tears off her cheeks with the sleeves of her uniform. 

_...Don't cry Rukia. It wasn't your fault._

_...Let it all go so you can be happy again. _

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><p><strong>Tada! So that concludes today's chapter, it was longer than the first now that I see how many words it has on the Edit Document. Well, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, if you don't mind please tell me your thoughts on this story so far. BTW is I rarely check my grammar on my stories if you don't mind, would you tell me where I can find some grammar issues. :P Ok well have a nice day!<br>-DinoRaws  
><strong>


	3. Rumors

**:) Ok, so thanks to your alerts and reviews I've been waiting to post the third chapter up! Enjoy reading the chapter everyone!  
><strong>

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><p><strong>((Chapter 3: Rumors))<strong> 

_Beep-Beep! Beep-Beep! Beep-Beep!_

Ichigo woke up startled from hearing the alarm clock go off in his room. From his bed he reached over to grab the alarm clock resting on his desk when he grabbed for it he pressed the 'snooze' button to rid of the sound but when he first pressed it nothing had silenced the beeping noise. "What the hell?" He pressed it again still hearing the eerie sounds of the supposed alarm. He hit the side of his alarm clock with his palm confused as to why he clock wouldn't stop.

To make things even more complicated, the door to his closet slid open in a rapid move that surprised him. "Good morning, Ichigo!"

"Ru-? What the hell are you doing in my closet?" Ichigo scolded towards Rukia as she adjusted the red bow on her uniform sliding down from her bed, aka Ichigo's Closet. She slid the closet door shut and sat on Ichigo's chair placing her shoes on for school. "I thought you went back to your house yesterday!"

"I did. But I didn't sleep well in my bed, so I came to your house."

"That's no excuse to use my closet without my permission!"

"Shut up!" Rukia quickly rose from the chair placing her hands on her hips in a vicious attitude. "I don't need your permission! You should hurry and dress up for school," Rukia grabbed her bag from under the desk climbing onto Ichigo's bed not caring that she stepped on his back to reach his window ignoring his complaints. She slid it up open passing half her body through it. "You only have ten minutes left before morning classes' start."

Rukia passed her whole body through the window sliding the window shut. She smirked at Ichigo as he jerked out of his bed yelling at her from behind the glass pounding it with his fist. She heard muffling through the glass and she was sure that none of the muffling words were kind ones to begin with. Rukia left without waiting for Ichigo, they would meet up later in class anyway.

**~~~At School~~~**

"But it's true! It's really true!" Keigo wept clinging onto his longtime friend who seemed to pay no attention to his ridiculous blabbers about some superstition that he heard from a fellow student. Instead he paid more attention to his phone playing a game. "Mizuiro, why don't you believe me!"

"That's just a rumor that's been going around. I really don't have any interest in those kinds of things, Keigo."

"Ichigo!" Keigo rushed over to his friend's side as soon as he entered through the classroom doors. "You believe me right?"

"What now, Keigo?"

"The rumor that's been the talk of the school," He whispered it to his face suspiciously looking throughout the classroom and his classmates.

"What rumor?"

"You haven't heard of it? Ok, I'll tell you-,"

"The rumor that's been going around is about a spirit that's been roaming around the school campus and Karakura Town, they say the spirit can't leave the world of the living until it relieves itself from the misfortune that happened to it."

"Wait a minute, Ishida! I was supposed to tell Ichigo! Damn you!"

"Misfortune?"

"No one knows the spirit's misfortune because it's an untrue rumor, obviously." Ishida pushed his glasses up further onto the bridge of his nose. With that being told Keigo had stopped blabbering about the rumor of the spirit slouching in his desk muttering to himself in disappointment. Ichigo sighed walking over to his student desk slamming his book bag on top of it, he glanced over to the desk next to him seeing Rukia in a serious daze, it was unlike her Chappy daze she had yesterday.

"Rukia?"

Her face in a serious expression, her fingers tightly grabbed onto her textbook almost punching five individual holes into them while biting her lip hard enough to see them turn white. Ichigo shook her arm in hopes of her returning back to from her serious daze. "Hey, Rukia!"

She snapped out of it finally. She blinked repeatedly loosening her grip and her bottom lip from her teeth. She shook her head left to right and focused back to her textbook. "I'm fine Ichigo." After that she regained herself back to normal writing and filling in the unanswered problems in her homework ignoring Ichigo for the moment. Ichigo sat in his desk glancing at Rukia from the corner of his eye. He knew that something was going on with Rukia but she was just too stubborn to say what was in her mind. Throughout the morning and afternoon classes Rukia had that unease look on her face, she hadn't shown up during lunch hour either and it certainly wasn't something Ichigo would ignore with ease.

The chance was his when school had ended, she was quick to leave but he was quick enough to catch up with her in no time. "Rukia!" He was now caught up to her even though he stood in front of her she averted her attention elsewhere with such intensity. "Rukia, what's wrong with you? Since I got to school you've-,"

"There's nothing wrong with me, Ichigo!" Rukia exclaimed with only her eyes moving up to glare at him. "My business is my business, not yours!"

"Why can't you just answer my damn question, Rukia!" His voice was equally loud as hers; students around them looked over already gossiping to their friends of the situation they were seeing as if it was the new talk of the school.

"Even if I told you, you couldn't anything about it!"

"ICHIGO!" Tatsuki came dashing to where he and Rukia were bickering at, she screamed out his name before Ichigo could even answer back. Tatsuki's face was filled with fright. "Ichigo! Rukia! There was a wreck in the intersection of town! It's the same street that Orihime walks to get home and I haven't seen her pass by yet!"

Without a single word to say Tatsuki, Ichigo and Rukia all sped to the area of the wreck worrying in their minds of Orihime. Sprinting to the site, they were catching their breath when they arrived at the site narrowing their eyes to see any signs of Orihime. There had been a bus that had flipped to its side and a car hitting the pole of a street sign. No sign of Orihime was there. "Tatsuki?" A hopeful voice ringed in their ears as they saw their orange haired friend.

"Orihime!" Tatsuki called her name as she and Ichigo ran to her side. Tatsuki without a moment to spare embraced her friend relieved to see Orihime safe and out of harm's way. "I thought you'd be caught in the wreck!"

"Thank goodness you're safe, Inoue." Ichigo managed to stretch a relieved smile on his face even if it was small.

The accident that Rukia gawked at began to trigger her hurtful memories she had hoped to forget. Her breathing became difficult and heavy, almost like a pant. "HI-!" Rukia's voice was dry and frightened the look on her face was simply terrified with eyes as wide as they could be. Her heart felt heavy and thumped louder in her chest, and she dropped her school bag. "HI-HISANA!" The loud crying voice of Rukia shocked the people surrounding her. Ichigo's eyes couldn't take the look on her face. He was the first that ran to her.

"Rukia! What's wrong!"

Looking at her expression he couldn't stand but feel helpless. There wasn't anything he could do in this moment, neither could the others. "Hisana! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, please come back!" Even with Ichigo right in front of her she looked straight at the car wreck, her knees became weak causing her to fall down on them, and her body trembled in Ichigo's hands.

"Rukia! Rukia!" He gawked as her face became drenched in her balling tears kneeling down with her crying to herself awhile lying down on the sidewalk holding her head in her hands.

"Hisana! Please, Hisana!"

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><p><strong>So that's it for the third chapter, no voices today but I do appericate your guessings though! I wonder if you have an idea regarding to this story based off from the chapter? :)<br>-DinoRaws**


	4. Home

**Hi everyone! So this is the fourth chapter of course, so did anyone experience any difficulties uploading their documents yesterday? If not then it was just probably me. Well enjoy today's chapter! Oh and I did upload earlier the same chapter but I forgot that I had made changes to it.  
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><p>((Chapter 4: Home))<p>

_...Rukia, why do you stay there?_

_...What is your purpose?_

"...A!" She heard his voice, it wasn't clear to what he was saying but it was his voice that woke her. "Rukia!" She opened her tired and heavy eyes to once again the boy with bleached hair. "Rukia, are you feeling better now?"

"You gave us a shock back there we're glad you're ok though, Rukia."

Rukia sat up from the bed she had been placed in, again she was at the Kurosaki Clinic the same place where she first met Ichigo and his family. This time instead of just Ichigo, Tatsuki and Orihimie joined to support her well being. She was a bit embarrassed to be in this state again. But seeing that scene of wrecked cars it reminded her too much of...

"Hisana," Rukia turned her eyes over to Ichigo. His face of seriousness and without a doubt curiosity. "That's the name you were shouting out."

"Idiot." Her voice was raised in angry but it hadn't affected Ichigo any longer unlike Tatsuki and Orihime. "Why can't you just stop with-,!"

"Look." Ichigo pressed the girlish toy against Rukia's face knowing that it would cause her to shut up. Ever since he found out that Rukia was very vulnerable in her Chappy daze, he'd meant to use it against one of these daze. And without a second to spare, Rukia held the her doll in her hands and gazed upon it entering her Chappy daze. "Serves you right." Ichigo wheeled his chair to where he placed his school bag.

"Ichigo..." Tatsuki gawked at Rukia unable to tell what was happening. "What is she doing?"

Ichigo answered from where he was digging into his bag. "Everytime she sees or embraces that bunny thing, she transitions into a daze that she can't get out of easily." He wheeled himself back in front of dazed Rukia while holding the juice box in his hand. "This time for sure," He whispered quietly to himself steadying his hand wheeling himself closer to Rukia, he finally inserted the straw from the juice box up her nose and without a moment to spare he squeezed the carton as the juice streamed up her nose.

The moment the juice streamed up her nose Rukia opened her eyes and swallowed the juice. She touched her nose confused as too why that happened. It was the same as last time. "I'm no longer parched,"

"Is that so?" Ichigo asked her with a straight face holding no juice box.

"That wasn't very nice, you ought to tell Rukia." Orihime mumbled to him.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

Rukia sighed softly to herself watching as her classmates talked amongst themselves. She hadn't interest herself into their three way conversation she just focused on the voice she heard in her head when she had blacked out. Her purpose...she had to stay for something important. She repeated the question by mouthing it out in a whisper barely heard by anyone. She narrowed her eyes from her petite hands to Ichigo and then to the window. It was already getting down to sunset by the colors of the sky. Tatsuki and Orihime had left first wishing Rukia to get well.

"Are you going home?" Ichigo asked but there was no response from her at all. She only kept her eyes on her hands. Asking about Hisana was obviously out of the question. "You live with your brother right? Byakuya?"

With just that he received a response. "My brother cannot see me even if I go home to him," But it was all just puzzling to him. "Not what happened to my sister Hisana..."

_Family problems huh_, Ichigo had thought. He didn't know really much about having family issues since his got along just well. But what Rukia said gave him an idea of why there was such an issue. "...I don't know what's up with your family but I'm sure that Byakuya is worried about you even if he doesn't show it, like you said before."

"Byakuya...is he really worried about me?" Rukia had asked herself but Ichigo answered her anyway scratching his head.

"He ought to...I mean, you're brother and sister right?"

"He is my...brother-in-law, Hisana's my real sister who married Byakuya."

There really wasn't much to say to that statement but Rukia made her decision by going back to her home. Giving her proper thanks to Ichigo once again for taking her in. Rukia walked the streets in the evening down straight to her home that she's scared to see but now here she was, the Kuchiki residents. The same house with the same look but it was all different now, there wasn't anywho who was the same now. Not even her.

She entered passed the entrance gate following the stone path reaching the door. She turned the doorknob pushing the door and entering the house. Closing the door she took off her shoes placing her house slippers on and walking into the living room. It was tidy and clean just how she and Hisana liked it. She looked left and right seeing the vast and decorative rooms in the household then she walked into the kitchen ready to make Byakuya his tea that he always enjoyed drinking peacefully after work. Whenever she made it for him he would comment on how the taste was so enriching. It was something that she had always liked to hear because it made not only her smile but Hisana as well. Doing so she only poured one cup of tea warm and ready for her brother. In the dining room sitting down on her knees resting her arms on the small table, she watched as the steam rose from the cup.

Just after making the tea, the door unlocked as Byakuya passed through closing and locking it. He came early off from his work hours yet he still seemed exhausted. He replaced his work shoes for his house slippers. He walked straight into the hallway entering his room to change out of his work clothes, the moment he walked out of his room and into the dining room he stopped and looked to where Rukia was. Looking up at his face had ached her heart even more then before so she lowered her head. "Welcome back, Byakuya." She had whispered.

Byakuya walked near the table and sat down on his knees to the right of Rukia. He looked down at the cup of tea reaching his hand out for the cup's handle and sipped the sweet tangy taste the tea had offered for his taste. Just how Rukia made it. He placed down the cup on its plate on the table. For the moment he sat there in silence he wondered how this cup of tea sat on his table knowing that nobody else was in his house but him.

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><p><strong>Hm, honestly speaking I believe I gave away my so called 'surprise of the story'. Oh well, by the way I would like to ask a favor to you. If you have any suggestions or ideas for a chapter I would love to hear them since I think adding the reader's ideas to the author's story is quite interesting! So if you want to involve your ideas to my story please do so. :) Until next chapter!<br>-DinoRaw**


	5. Weird

**:) Ok I should have said this before in the last chapter but I promise I won't put Rukia as an idiot over Chappy anymore, it was a two chapter thing only. So here is the fifth chapter to my story and I thought of adding a scene from the anime to this chapter becoz it was my favorite scene of an IchiRukia moment. Enjoy!**

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><p>((Chapter 5: Weird)) <p>

In the hall of her new school she sprinted towards her target. The students heard her fast footsteps and were astounded by her fast pace she had in her. There he was in the middle of his conversation with his friends Inoue, Ishida and Chad. She couldn't believe the nerve he had to do such things to her! It angered her to know she let her guard absolutely down around him! "ICHIGO!" She yelled his name out with such anger she could already see the fear in his eyes.

"Ru-Rukia?"

Using the strength of her legs she quickly jumped and bringing all of her force into her foot she had successfully kicked Kurosaki Ichigo in the face. With such great force from her kick he was knocked off from his feet. "Insolent fool! How dare you do such things to me when my guard is down!"

"Damn you," Ichigo muttered quickly recovering from her kick standing back on his two feet. But of course he knew what she was talking about. "Maybe if you didn't like that ugly bunny I wouldn't have thought of doing it!"

"Perhaps you should stop with your childish pranks so that way I won't have to scold you like a child that you are!"

"Teh! Maybe if you didn't like such childish toys I wouldn't have thought of doing it in the first place!"

"Well, it's nice to see that Rukia is doing fine." Ishida watched as Rukia and Ichigo continued their endless bickering.

"You're right, Ishida. She's lively as ever it makes me feel glad, right Chad?"

"Yea, she's back alright."

Morning classes were the slowest to Rukia, she hadn't enjoyed them but she understood each of the lessons her homeroom teacher was lecturing about. She copied exactly every word for word written on the blackboard onto her journal, which happened to be filled with Chappy-like drawings. She was very proud of those. Glancing up again at the blackboard she tried reading the words but all of a sudden her vision had been blurred. There was no explanation as to why she was experiencing this during school hours or at all for that matter. She squinted her eyes refocusing her eye sight yet nothing had made it all better. Her hand up against her forehead felt the burning temperature against her palm, her body was acting up again. "Why is this happening again?"

"Alright everyone, class is dismissed for your lunch hour. Be ready for afternoon classes!"

It was her perfect chance to get away from everyone now but not when they were in the classroom. She didn't want them to see her she didn't want them to worry about her. She couldn't see them but she noticed that the others were headed out to eat on the rooftop again. "Hey Rukia, aren't you coming?"

She removed her hand away from her forehead and turned to her friend with a solid fake smile worth fooling everyone except one. "I have a few assignments I want to work on so I'll be eating here today."

Ichigo wasn't fooled by her look. He could tell she wasn't being honest at all but he also didn't let it get to him. It was probably that family issue she had been going through with, it was something he shouldn't involve himself. Kuchiki Rukia, a new classmate of his that always seemed to end up in his dad's clinic and his dad never told him what was wrong with Rukia all he ever said was to never forget the name Rukia Kuchiki. His dad never told him what he meant by that and he was utterly confused by it. Peeling the bitter skin from his orange he walked over to fence surrounding the school's rooftop. The attention of his eyes caught a student running past the school's entrance heading straight to the town's park from the direction they just turned. "Hm?"

No one was allowed out from the school campus until after afternoon classes. What made it more interesting was the person who left the school. He knew it would get him in trouble later but he wanted to follow her. He ran back inside the school ignoring his friend's callings. He was tall so that gave him better speed to catch up with her he hadn't stop to take a break from his sprinting the park was only a few more blocks away from his school. His mind wondered why she left the school during the lunch hour yet he knew something was wrong when she claimed to finish her assignments. The look on her face it wasn't smiling instead it was in pain. To see Rukia like that bothered him for an uncertain reason. In fact he wasn't even sure why he was chasing after her the only reason he could think of was to never forget Kuchiki Rukia because he felt that he shouldn't.

He stopped to finally catch his breath. Ichigo finally made it to the town's park where he met up with Rukia, she was sitting down on a swing letting the wind push her lightly.

"You know leaving school during lunch hour is against the rules!" He called out as she raised her head.

"You're the one to talk Ichigo. I don't know why you're here."

Ichigo grabbed onto the chain of the swing next to Rukia and sat down slowly swinging himself. "Neither do I," He looked at the street and houses that were in front of the park the day was perfect to be outside even if two friends sat in silence.

"I mentioned Hisana's name, didn't I?"

"Yea, you shouted out her name when we were near the car wreck."

"My sister Hisana," Rukia tightened her grip on the swings chain. "she...she-"

"You don't need to tell me anything that you don't want to Rukia."

She grazed at Ichigo as he continued gawking at the houses and sky ahead of him. When she observed him she noticed the handsome features around his face and the calm and collective eyes he had. The features he had she hadn't noticed the first time she saw his face she hadn't even noticed them until today, she never had thought to look at him in such a way. But now that they kept on seeing each other through school and even outside of school it was time to notice the little things. Like how she never gave her gratitude to his family, all she focused on was that voice in her head to come back. "Thank you." She said in a soft tone of voice.

"Ha? What's that for all of a sudden?"

"I thought I should thank you for...taking care of me."

"What?" To Ichigo, the way her face was seemed different then what people would show when showing their expressions. "You're weird." And that's what he focused on, not her gratitude.

However, "I'm weird?" Rukia had misunderstood him and with a quick angry moment she jumped out of her swing staring harshly at Ichigo, so when there's a misunderstanding, "You're calling me weird?" There was always an argument.

"When someone says that with a straight face all of a sudden, it makes you uneasy." That was his explanation for Rukia to understand.

"What's wrong with expressing your gratitude?" She eyed him as he too stud up from his swing looking down upon her.

"I didn't say it's bad!" Not only was this conversation off topic and pointless, it was also frustrating for him. "Just that it makes you uneasy!"

"See! You just said weird again!"

"Weird and uneasy are two different meanings!" He pushed Rukia on the forehead with his one finger, she slapped his hand away from her face.

"It's the same!" She stomped her foot on the ground. "Well, you're just a fool who can't understand people's emotions!"

"What did you say?"

The glares that they threw at each other hoped to pierce through their heads, in any case, they turned their heads away in a different direction avoiding each other's gaze. Unexpectedly they both moved in synch heading in the same direction back to school, despite their major height difference, they moved together in the same walking speed. Even just a small glance from the corner of their eyes mad them irritated and grunted. From their walk it turned to a power walk and from their power walk it transitioned to a sprint. Having longer legs then Rukia, Ichigo had the advantage going on and he was a few steps ahead of her. He looked over his shoulder taunting the angry Rukia and just when he turned around he unfortunately bumped into someone as they turned the corner.

The man he bumped into had stepped back a few steps enabling him from falling over. Ichigo had hit the man hard enough for him to fall backwards. "Ah! I'm sorry for bumping into you like that!" Ichigo looked by his legs and saw the man's leather briefcase on the ground; he reached for it standing up to hand it over. "I'm so sorry Mr.-!" The name on the brief's tag was familiar and surprised Ichigo to raise his eyebrow, but it probably was a mere coincidence.

"Kuchi...ki?" It was just a mere coincidence; Rukia would have recognized him right away so this mustn't be her brother-in-law. "Ah! Rukia, damn you for not helping me!"

Ichigo ran after her leaving the man alone and in the corner, he looked as the energetic Ichigo chased after his friend back to school. The man lifted his head up slightly, "Rukia?" he said with a soft whisper.

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><p><strong>So there you go, nothing special but it's done. Things are going to get a little more serious around Rukia and Ichigo plus you'll finally learn what's going with Rukia, yay!<br>By the way is there any good IchiRukia fics out here? I really need to read some.  
>-DinoRaws<strong>


	6. Grocery

**Hello! Hello! So, I had a difficult time thinking of the sixth chapter it's not that great but it's something right? Well I hope you like it! :)  
><strong>

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><p><strong><em>((Chapter 6: Grocery))<em>**

Ichigo sat down on his chair elbow on his desk while his fist supported his cheek. His eyebrow furrowed down and mouth frowning as be continued to stare at his closet. He didn't know why or how but Rukia insisted on visiting his family for a little while after Saturday classes. She had been in his closet doing God knows what all he cared was that the sooner she got out the sooner she'd leave his home. He grunted already becoming impatient. "Are you done in there?"

There wasn't a single reply just his closet door receiving a small beating, a sign for him to be patient. Soon after that the door slid open with an ecstatic Rukia. "I found it!" She held up a small hair pin between her two fingers.

"Great congratulations," Such sarcasm was expected from Ichigo. "Get out of my closet and go home." He spun himself around in his chair focusing back on his homework.

After sliding the closet door shut Rukia placed her newly found hair pin on the side of her hair. "What are you doing?"

"Homework of course," As he flipped his notebook onto the next page he gazed on the topic of his task. English Literature and the famous terrifying book: The Devine Comedy.

"Oh~, Devine Comedy! That was an interesting book!"

"You actually understood that book? I couldn't even get through the first five pages..."

The Devine Comedy, Dante's Inferno, had been one of America's famous literature books even Japan decided to get a hold of it. Despite being translated from Italian to English to Japanese it was all to confusing for Ichigo all he knew was that there was a man named Dante and he was Italian, or he assumed.

"Don't tell me you didn't understand such an easy literature book? I'm not surprised..."

"Why you...then tell me what's it about?"

Rukia jumped onto Ichigo's bed sitting down on her knees with such an intense look in her face. "Dante, the main protagonist in the English literature, was a man of curiosity. Dante himself ventured out to depths of Hell seeing the seven levels of sins that one can commit to enter Hell. The seven levels of Hell that he saw were Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Envy, Wrath and Pride and their unbearable punishments...do you understand so far?"

"Yea," Ichigo hadn't known when or where or even why but Rukia's explanation that involved such sketches weren't making anything sensible. "I just don't understand why your drawings suck so much."

"Shut up and appreciate my explanation!" With such passionate anger, Rukia deliberately slapped Ichigo's face as hard as she could. Half of Ichigo's face experienced such brutality it throbbed fiercely. He clenched his teeth together grunting at Rukia.

"Brother!" Yuzu's voice was muffled but loud enough to hear through the door. She suddenly rushed inside Ichigo's room. "Brother, can you go into town and buy me some ingredients for tonight's dinner? Nobody is home so I thought of asking you! Rukia can go if you feel lonely!"

"Don't say such ridiculous things, Yuzu!" Ichigo lifted his body off from his chair walking up to Yuzu grabbing her shopping list from her tiny hands. From his room to outside Rukia followed Ichigo quietly into town feeling ecstatic about grocery shopping. "You seem cheerful today."

"Why shouldn't I? It's a beautiful sunny day, the temperature is nice and-,"

"That's a bunch of crap," He muttered loud enough for Rukia to hear. She had been discovered so quickly.

"Fine, fine! I just can't imagine a person like you shopping for groceries so I thought I'd come and entertain myself."

"You have too much free time in your hands, you know that?"

Rukia grinned seeing the grocer just ahead of them. She hadn't been grocery shopping in a while so she had been a little anxious to go inside. The first thing on Yuzu's list was bananas. She and Ichigo walked over to the fruits section grazing upon the many yellow and green bundled fruits. She picked a couple up seeing which ones were ready and which weren't.

"Ichigo!" Rukia suddenly snatched the bananas in his hands preventing him from bagging them. "What are you doing? These are old bananas!" She pointed at them.

"They all look the same!"

Rukia showed the brown spots that had tainted the potassium filled fruits comparing it to fresh green skinned bananas. Ichigo looked at the two sets of bananas sure they were completely different but did it matter to him? Of course not as long as they tasted good. This little predicament occurred many times around the grocery store with Rukia going against his choosing of foods.

"Why is it that you always disagree with the foods I get, huh?"

"Your judgment with grocery shopping isn't even in the slightest correct!"

"You're so full of it."

"You're careless without any doubt, Ichigo."

A contest to see who can insult the other was brought on. Ichigo couldn't understand why his classmate decided to waste her time with him and his errands but it annoyed him just the slightest really. She had an older brother that should be annoyed by her instead of him! But whatever right, he supposed that it was better than being lonesome. When he glanced down at her, it suddenly made him feel a bit nervous not a lot but a little bit.

"Yo, Rukia!" His eyes narrowed straight back up seeing the new character in this story. He wore the store's uniform, a part time student perhaps, yet the most unusual thing was his red hair. "Never thought you'd come here again!"

"Renji...!" Rukia was surprised seeing her childhood friend, suddenly Ichigo's nervousness turned to a bit of anger he decided it was nothing to fret over with. "I forgot you worked here."

"You forgot? Well it's probably because of that brother of yours! Thinking he's too good for everything, I'll show him I'm better!"

"How can you do that if you can't even outsmart me?"

"You Kuchiki's think you're so damn good at everything!"

Rukia, with this stranger, lightened up more then she did with him. Ichigo saw it all through his eyes but why would he care for that? All he came here was for Yuzu's grocery list not to get annoyed over such a small reunion. He unfolded and read his sister's handwriting walking away from the conversation to bag some vegetables. Even without knowing it Rukia's advice for checking foods came naturally to him now he made sure they were fresh, their natural color, its texture, how soft or hard they are so on and so forth. During his vegetable pickings he glanced over to them, Rukia and her friend Renji were still at it. Ichigo couldn't help feel a little mad over this, but he shouldn't have it made him a little happy that there was actually someone else she talked with. Or so he thought.

"What am I thinking?" He muttered throwing his unwanted anger at the bag of celery. He shook his head out from his deep thoughts and checked his completed grocery list and doubled checked everything. When he was done he went back to Rukia's side resting his forearm on her head. He stared blankly at Renji, "Are you done? Yuzu's waiting for us back home." It wasn't on purpose but he caused Renji to become surprised at his sudden demand. He knew he'd see this Renji character again.

"Oh!" Rukia gazed upon the shopping basket impressed by Ichigo's pickings! All of them were fresh and had their bright natural colors. "Well Ichigo, it seems as if you actually learnt something from me."

There was no denying that statement but he did anyway. Rukia argued with him about buying her Chappy candy from the Urahara shop she knew and saw however Ichigo refused since A) he never heard of such a store and B) he'd be embarrassed and wasting his money on such weird sweets. Even if it was for Rukia.

"Hey," He handed a grocery bag to Rukia as they left the store headed back to Yuzu. "I noticed these past few days you haven't been sick lately."

"...That's weird." She muttered giving him a look.

"What is?"

"That you notice small things like that."

"Is it really weird to notice when a friend isn't sick anymore?" A friend...he said. In her heart, it jumped for that moment and second just by hearing those two words combine with another. It made her feel...happy.

"Maybe...you are weird after all, Rukia."

But it was the happiest she has ever been, and she had Ichigo to thank for that.

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><p><strong>So there you have it! I do hope you didn't think it was too boring but that's why it's crucial for you to review this one chapter for me, 'coz I wasn't very proud of it :( Ok, well thank you! Btw have you ever guys heard of a manga called Nana? It's amazing :)<br>-DinoRaws**


	7. Hanabi

**:) I appericate all of your reviews and I do want to apologize for getting the literature novel wrong. :P I didn't really pay attention to that. Anywho, here is the seventh chapter and for answering one question to a reviewer, the man who Ichigo bumped into is indeed Kuchiki Byakuya but he won't appear until later :) Ok well enjoy!  
><strong>

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><p>((Chapter 7: Hanabi))<p>

"Fireworks?" She muttered under her breath scanning through the poster that was pinned on the school's wall.

"Karakura's Firework Festival," Ichigo's hand were placed his pockets standing tall next to the short Rukia. "It's tonight at 9:30pm, I wonder why it's a week early?"

Rukia saw the advertising poster on the wall. The poster's brilliant colors caught her eyes as it displayed many fireworks on the festival's poster. As far as she could recall in her memory, no one has ever taken her to see the fireworks. "Hey Ichigo," She looked up facing him. "Is the firework festival worth watching?"

He raised a brow opening his mouth in astonishment. Everyone from Karakura Town had always participated in its firework festival or at least half of the town goes to see it! "Huh? You've never been to the festival before?"

"No, that's why I'm asking you."

"Good morning Ichigo! Good morning Rukia!" A high perky voice entered the duo's conversation greeting them happily walking with Ishida and Chad.

"Orihime, is the firework festival worth watching?"

"Of course they always are! But why are you asking me though?"

"Because she's never been!" The way Ichigo said it made it sound like it was a joke or as if he was teasing her. That's how Rukia saw it as but it wasn't something to get worked about. The sudden topic of Rukia never attending Karakura's Firework Festival all of a sudden became an invitation to watch the fireworks that started tonight at 9:30pm. Ichigo and Rukia would meet the others at the festival tonight. Rukia wondered what it was like at the festival she could only imagine now even despite the fact she would see tonight.

"Am I supposed to wear something...special to the festival?" She asked Ichigo as they walked past the school's gate heading home.

Ichigo did remember his little sister Yuzu wearing formal attire but Karin just wore her casual clothing, some of the women who attended also wore their casual clothing. "Some girls do but most of them wear whatever they want."

"I see," Rukia thought it over again and again on whether or not to wear formal attire like the other woman. But no matter what her thoughts were it always led to wearing her casual clothing. After Ichigo and her separated their ways, she had a tingly feeling in the pits of her stomach when reaching into her drawer full of clothes. Staring blankly at her skirt she realized that she was going to the firework festival tonight with her friends...with Ichigo. With Ichigo...? Suddenly her face had burnt up with embarrassment so she shook off her thought. "Why am I acting like this? It's only a firework festival!"

She threw her skirt on her bed grunting at the ideas in her head. When she sat down on her untouched bed her eyes gawked at her skirt. She was finally going somewhere without her brother Byakuya placing a tight leash on her. Only because he didn't know, it was better that way. Going to the fireworks with Ichigo definitely crossed a smile on her calm face I'm fact, it brought a tingly feeling in her stomach and it was the good type of tingly. This type of tingly in her stomach happened for the past couple of days now without even knowing why.

Rukia lifted her body off from her bed walking over to grab her outfit then suddenly, before she knew it, her legs gave out causing her to fall on the floor. She began to panic. Her legs were doing fine just this second now they were just useless! When she tried moving her legs a sharp pain struck her head resulting in even more panic to Rukia! The pain in her head seemed unbearable! Even if she tried pushing pressure on her head using her two hands it wouldn't do anything what so ever. Closing her eyes tightly she faintly screamed out the pain hoping to relieve herself but nothing. Closing her eyes tightly she saw an image in her mind, "I...Ichigo-," and it was that image that she saw before blacking out.

_...Who is this person named Ichigo?_

_...Is he the reason that allowed you to open your heart?_

"My heart...?" Rukia whispered transiting back to being conscience. She raised her head slowly watching as tears dropped from her eyes to the wooden panel floors. She began blinking her eyes to adjust her blurry vision to a clear vision after she did so the sky that she saw through her window was dark. It was already evening! Couldn't it be possible that she had blacked out for such a long time? If so, this would be the first! They only lasted four to six minutes but for it to last a few hours, Rukia knew it wasn't normal! When she looked at her alarm clock it displayed in a bright green color the time of 8:45pm. She had blacked out for five hours! "8:45?" She began to worry but having such an extensive black out meant something was wrong. "Ah! The firework festival!"

Rukia blurted out quickly rising from the floor and undressing to change into her casual clothing. As she dressed she thought of the festival and whether or not to bring spare yen just in case. Pssh, why wouldn't she? She couldn't hide it in her mind about how thrilled and ecstatic she had been especially seeing the firework displays with her friends! This might be worth watching. Racing against time, she scurried downstairs to see an empty house as usual. She sat down on the step of the entrance placing in her flats on her feet before heading out. Just after stepping outside the house, she heard it. She heard the same voice she'd always hear in her black outs and when she collapsed.

_...Is he your purpose for leaving me Rukia?_

_...Is he your purpose for staying?_

"My purpose...?" She looked back staring at her empty ghost like house with a puzzling face. She couldn't fully understand yet but she had an idea could these questions all refer to-?

"Rukia!"

"Ichigo..." It might just be him. He looked different from when they had barely met one another. This change in him was difficult to point out and describe but there was definitely a change somewhere. Rukia gently placed a smile as he gawked down at her. He had been calm and collective whenever she was with him she felt at ease and of course she felt that tingle in her stomach.

"Well we should meet the others at the festival."

"I'm surprised," They walked in the direction of the festival. "You're ten minutes early."

"Yeah only because my family was driving me crazy since I mentioned that..." He had paused stiffing his body up from embarrassment.

"...That?"

He gazed the other way then closed his eyes avoiding to see Rukia's face. "That I'd come and pick you up for the fireworks, nothin' special ok?" His words were rather rapid and a bit slurred but Rukia understood him and only grinned at him which annoyed him even more.

The rest of the walk had been in silence. But as soon as they arrived at the festival their silence was broken with all of Karakura's people attending the famous firework festival. Rukia could not believe how exciting this night was going to be and the more she looked in what to do first the more undecided she had become. She had been like a child in a candy store, she was indecisive. It didn't matter to her now she rushed in watching people cooking food and others playing booth games. The more booth games they played the more they forgot to meet up with Orihime, Chad and Ishida.

"I can't believe that thing is actually popular,"

Rukia and Ichigo had come out from a popular game booth that Rukia won without fail. Her easy was all because of a cute Chappy doll. "Don't refer to Chappy as a thing, Chappy is a masterpiece!"

"Unlike your drawings," he muttered quietly to himself. He hadn't expected a hard uppercut from the tiny fists of Rukia. He ignored his ache of pain to glare straight at Rukia who as well glared daggers into his eyes.

"Hurry you two!" A man ran past by the two catching their undivided attention. "The fireworks are about to start!"

This is what Rukia had been waiting for all night. Her face brightened with glee overly thrilled to see the fiery displays of booming fireworks. The excitement surged throughout her body grabbing Ichigo's hand running over to the over packed area where everyone would see the fireworks. And when they went through people to stand on a good spot the first firework shot into the air and Rukia stopped. Together hand in hand they were watching in awe the spectacular view. The moment seemed endless viewing firework after firework, Rukia loved it all. Being here to see tonight's festival and to come with Ichigo was all that she needed to cherish this day.

Rukia glanced over to Ichigo seeing the bright fiery colors reflect off from his eyes. The blistering lights each firework gave off after booming into the night sky made the face of Ichigo glow more handsome then he was or maybe it wasn't noticed by Rukia after their day in the park. His hair was unusually interesting, his facial features were magnificently handsome, his eyes were brilliant and the touch of his hand against hers had been delightfully soft.

So Rukia finally had decided. Karakura's Firework Festival was indeed worth watching. Especially if someone was there with you.

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><p><strong>Yay fireworks~ Honest to say, I have no idea what goes on during a firework festival so I just did whatever floats my boat. I hope it wasn't too boring or anything just lemme know :) Btw have you guys seen the "Honeymoon Calendar IchiRuki 2011" by Kubo-sensei himself? Ah, it's just overwhelming and an unbearable teaser of IchiRuki! x) Google it and love it, if you haven't. <strong>


	8. Rukia

**i'm so sorry that I haven't uploaded any chapters these past two weeks or so! went back to my hometown, turned out no interent connection so unable to post but only think of more chapters x( so here's chapter 8! Enjoy!**

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><p>((Chapter 8: Rukia))<p>

It was years after his mother's death, he knew it would be a few more months before his family would come and pray to her but he insisted for some odd reason to see his mother's grave today. He did miss having a mom in his life no doubt about it. After praying to his mother's grave he quietly walked away headed back to his house. Just as he was heading down a hill, in front of him was Rukia, she was praying in front of someone's grave. When she was done she only stud there silently.

He walked towards her direction feeling the sorrowful atmosphere around Rukia. "She died early this year in the same accident I was in," Neither Ichigo or Rukia looked eye to eye they only saw the name 'Kuchiki Hisana' on the grave's name plate. "My sister Hisana and I were walking home from eating at a bakery then...Hisana noticed a car that went off road, she and I were hit but Hisana died immediately after impact."

"Then the accident we saw before after school that day, did it remind you of that accident?"

"...Yes."

In his mind he thought it was respectful to pray to Hisana to watch over Rukia. Even if she didn't know why he would consider to pray since he never knew Hisana, she felt a little light hearted to see him pray to her.

Ichigo reopened his eyes to a crying Rukia. Her face was like a child's, her eyes grew big filled with tears and her cheeks tainted red from embarrassment, Ichigo figured that Rukia didn't like crying in front of people. He knew how she felt he understood her emotions of personally losing someone she loved. Her crying continued on without him knowing what to do, she buried her face in her hands and sat on her legs unable to stand from being too emotional.

This was unlike Rukia to be emotional in front of others. But just hearing her cries he couldn't even say anything right now. But that never meant he couldn't do anything. He and Rukia may have met recently yet their bond was strong, strong enough to support another. To her surprise, Ichigo had embraced her telling Rukia it was fine to cry in front of others. Rukia had once been told the same by Hisana only telling her she would never do such thing however when told by Ichigo, her heart felt overwhelmed she couldn't stop and returned Ichigo's embrace with hers. For awhile they were like that, Ichigo didn't care how much time had past he just wanted to hold her for a little longer.

After her emotional outbreak, Ichigo kept glancing down at Rukia every step they walked. Her face of sadness and her eyes red from her tears he wanted to cheer her up a bit but nothing he thought of would accomplish that at all. He scratched his head and grunted to himself until he saw his solution. There in the middle of Karakura Town was a fair, it wasn't open now but it will be in a few days. If Rukia had enjoyed the firework festival she would surely enjoy the town's fair! "Rukia, have you ever been there?"

Her red watery eyes followed to where Ichigo pointed his long thin finger at. Her expression remained the same, he hoped it would change. "I went there once with Hisana and Byakuya last year. I didn't enjoy it as much,"

"I see," Ichigo was a bit disappointed in hearing that.

"...But I only enjoyed riding the Ferris wheel. It was calm, quiet and I was able to see the whole town at night."

The mention of the Ferris wheel brought a little light onto her face, so perhaps there's a chance of asking her to go after all. "The Ferris wheel, do you mind riding it again but with me this time?"

Her face hadn't exploited her sadness any longer it now exploited a light of glee. She was a bit surprised yet happy when he asked her. With a small smile and turning back to see the red Ferris wheel she replied, "Sure, what harm can it be riding it with you?"

He only smiled at her reply saying nothing else sharing the view of the morning sky and the red Ferris wheel that been in the middle of town.

Returning home, he was greeted of course by his family. He walked by the kitchen counter picking up a sugar cookie that his sister Yuzu probably had made and headed towards to his room. Just as Ichigo headed to that direction of his room his father had appeared. "Oh Ichigo, how was your visit?"

"Just the same as always," He removed the sugar cookie away from his mouth. "Rukia was there."

"...Rukia?"

"Her sister's grave is there, Kuchiki Hisana is her name."

"Kuchiki...," His dad whispered the surname of Rukia's with such a serious tone it had concerned Ichigo. He stayed in a serious mood for a bit longer then he turned to Ichigo in the same way. "Have you been seeing Kuchiki Rukia these past few weeks then, Ichigo? Is she doing well?"

It was strange the way he acted. "Yea, she's in my class. Why? What's wrong with Rukia?" Was there something his dad should have told him about Rukia?

"What's this? Are you concerned for Rukia, son?" The tease in his voice obviously killed the serious mood, yet the teasing had for once worked. "Well you have been seeing Rukia almost every day I wouldn't be surprised if you liked her!"

"Don't say such ridiculous things!" Ichigo, fury with red, stormed away from his dad.

"Ichigo!" His dad called.

"What?"

His dad crossed his arms against his chest and with a sincere look in his face he said, "Just like I told you before, never forget Rukia."

"What the hell does that even mean!" His father only laughed in his face walking away from Ichigo. "Crazy old man."

This was the second time his dad told him that yet Ichigo never came to understand the meaning of it. Of course he wouldn't forget Rukia, he had class with her and they always wind up hanging out outside of school anyway. Rukia wasn't easy to forget, her rude remarks, her crappy drawings and the harsh physical abuse he'd get from her weren't really forgetful. In fact, nothing about Rukia was forgetful. He didn't want to forget such a character like Rukia.

"Gaahh!" He viciously scratched both sides of head as he laid on his bed. He spread his body out on his bed staring blankly at his ceiling, trance in a deep thought of Rukia and his dad's words. "What does he mean by that?" He rolled over to his side whispering in a low tone. It hadn't really occurred to Ichigo how much time he had been spending with Rukia outside of school but now he'd say that it was more then he'd usually hang out with a friend of his. So what would make her so special?

He buried half of his face in his pillow avoiding the answer to that question. But he couldn't avoid it because he had already answered it. He buried more of his face into the pillow. The reason why she had been special and the reason why he'd never forget Rukia was solely because, "I love Rukia..."

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><p><strong>Is this too soon to say that Ichigo loves Rukia? Do you think I rushed it or was it too late in the story? Coz I feel that way, any who, if you have any comments please write to me, i miss your reviews and all! Alright! Until next time!<br>-DinoRaws**


	9. Shock

**:) So here is the 9th chapter to my story, I can tell you that this story is almost at a closing a few more chapters up then fin. This, I must say is the most important chapter ever since it tells you the truth about Rukia. I hope you enjoy reading it!  
><strong>

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><p><em><strong>((Chapter 9: Shock))<strong>_

Paying attention to class this morning had been a little difficult. He couldn't help but block out his teacher's lecture and focus on his own thing. The voice in his head had been louder than his teacher; the voice in Ichigo's mind had kept asking the same question over and over again. 'Why didn't they remember Rukia?' It had been exactly the same the day after Rukia transferred into their homeroom, no one but him seemed to recall. This, whatever this forgetfulness is, was not part of his imagination after all. This was real.

Just as he and Rukia entered the hallway to their homeroom, everyone had only been greeting Ichigo and not Rukia. All of them knew her, so why didn't they greet her?

"Hey Ichigo," The touch of Rukia's hand onto his shoulder snapped him back from his deep thoughts. "You seem trouble by something."

Surely she noticed it too, right? "It was this morning, everyone that passed by us had forgotten who you were. I just don't get it."

"You shouldn't trouble yourself with something so small, so what if they had forgotten who I was?"

"This isn't something small, this has happened twice already. They see you every day that we go to school, it's a little hard to forget a classmate."

She saw the concern state of mind Ichigo was when he turned back around facing the teacher's written blackboard. He was right though, it is a little hard to forget a classmate or someone however, in her case, it was easy to forget who Rukia is. She had already noticed that a few students she'd talked to hadn't greeted her or even noticed she was there. She glanced at her petite hand and clenched it into a fist. Ichigo had been right, it's happened twice already since she first transferred to this school. Now it was her turn to ignore the teacher's lecture. Even if she tried to write whatever her homeroom teacher said she couldn't bring it out to paper.

Rukia had spent all of morning classes worrying she couldn't bear another second in the classroom. Lifting her body up from her desk she rushed towards the door sliding it to open and dashing over to the hallway. Just as she ran further into the hallway away from her homeroom, she bumped shoulder to shoulder with a student.

"Ah! Please excuse-,!"

"I cannot believe how the episode ended like that!"

"Right? I told you, Fuuko!"

She hadn't even noticed Rukia. She should've felt that bump in just a second ago, yet there she goes walking alongside with her friend like she hadn't felt it. As if it never occurred. Nothing can be done about this at all; Rukia was really beginning to fade from their memories. "Ichigo...I'm sorry."

Just before the bell rang for their afternoon classes she brought herself together making sure nothing gave away her depression. "Don't you remember, Keigo?"

"Are you sure you're not confusing someone from a different homeroom, Ichigo?"

"Why would I be?" Ichigo couldn't let this go so easily. He wanted to know what was going on. Such a stubborn man. "She's Kuchiki! Kuchiki Rukia! We eat lunch together."

"Sorry Ichigo but I don't know who you're talking about."

"Ichigo," She appeared in front of the two as they sat in their desk looking up at her. She knew how hard he was trying, knowing that had made her feel content.

"Rukia,"

"Rukia...?" Keigo continued to stare blankly at her. Somehow that name and face ringed in his tiny mind and the mention of them eating together had also ringed a bell. "Rukia! Geez, for a second I actually forgot who you were! That's really strange...well sorry about that!"

Even a friend had begun to lose a little bit of who she was. How much longer it would take for everyone she'd met to forget about her completely, Rukia had wondered. When she averted her attention to Ichigo, he wore the same look on his face that she had been wearing. When he slightly opened his mouth he closed it up again unable to say the right words to her. This predicament that Rukia was in had been difficult to comprehend. Ichigo wanted to know why people were forgetting her.

As time progressed to school hours being over with, both Ichigo and Rukia walked silently only thinking of today.

"You shouldn't let this get to you,"

"So you really don't care about what's happening do you?"

"You know just as well as I do that they will all completely forget about me, Ichigo."

"And you're ok with that?"

"Yes I am,"

"Well I'm not!" Just as he raised his voice, they both stopped walking down on the sidewalk. "It's just not that easy to forget a person like that! You just can't simply erase a person from your memory, especially if it's someone you care for! It's not that easy."

"Ichigo..."

"What I'm saying is true Rukia, I-I just can't accept the fact that you're ok with everyone forgetting who you are. And I'm sure that you feel the same way."

"...To be forgotten by my friend's isn't what I wish for."

"I'll find a way no matter how difficult it is, I'll make sure you stay in everyone's memories."

"Thank you."

It sounded impossible to her no matter how many times she heard Ichigo say he'll find a way. Somewhere in her heart she actually believed that there could be a way for him to accomplish such a thing but honest to truth, Rukia knew that he would not be able to in time. When she and Ichigo parted for their ways, she never reached back home because there would be no one to greet her. Instead she walked to a familiar route that she once took before, a long path away from home and here she stood in front of a hospital.

He didn't ask Rukia where she was headed. Usually they walked together home until the intersection that separated the two. He didn't bother trying to figure it out either; he'd just figured that she just wanted to be left alone. Now all Ichigo had to do was find the answer to an impossible question. What could he do to make everyone not forget who Kuchiki Rukia is?

Doing this kind of thing was for him to figure out by himself obviously he couldn't ask anyone else about this. Surely they'd think he was delusional. But he wasn't for sure, people started to forget who she was and it was all just too confusing. Ichigo had no idea what to do.

Before he turned left on the intersection to his house, the same man he had bumped to days ago appeared once again. A tall man with such seriousness and calm expression on his face and dressed in an expensive suit suited for his business in work. "Ah, I'm sorry about bumping into you the other day."

"Are you friends with Kuchiki Rukia?" Such a bold statement had caught his attention.

"Of course, who are you to ask me that?"

"Then you should cut your bond with her if you call yourself her friend," Not one bit did he take a liking to this man and his words.

"Just hold on here! Who the hell are you to tell me that?" His fingers clenched tighter on the handle of his school bag.

"You read the name plate on my suitcase the other day. I am Kuchiki Byakuya."

"You're her brother, then, you must know why she keeps collapsing! Why does she do that?"

"I have no idea what you're saying I have not seen Rukia since the day she was admitted to the hospital a year ago."

This situation he was in had now become more puzzling then he had imagined. Just exactly what was this man saying? "Admitted to the hospital...?" Ichigo's mind raced with questions amongst questions. "That's impossible! Rukia was transferred to my school just a month ago! I see and talk with her every day, what you're saying isn't making any sense."

"What you're saying isn't making any sense to me either, but I know what I am saying is true. The day that my late wife Hisana and her sister Rukia had been in an accident was the same day Hisana passed away as the ambulance took her to the hospital. The very same hospital that Rukia was admitted to a year ago. It is impossible for Rukia to attend your school because she has been in a coma all this time."

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><p><strong>There you have it, Rukia is in a coma for a year now. I hope your guesses about Rukia were right if not that's ok! I do hope you liked it and if you want to comment on somethings that are happening in the story itself or just the chapters lemme know! Alright, until next time!<br>-DinoRaws**


	10. Trying

**:) so here's the tenth chapter to this story! Let's all enjoy the story now! **

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><p>((Chapter 10: Trying))<p>

"A coma...? That just doesn't seem true at all. I just finished talking with her a moment ago!"

"If you do not believe what I said to you then so be it," Byakuya turned his back to Ichigo preparing to leave. His time with him was done and said what he needed. "I have no reason to lie to you. But if you want to see the truth for yourself, go visit her in the hospital."

Then how is it possible...how is it possible to see someone everyday alive and talking if they're in a lifeless coma? Ichigo didn't say anything back to Byakuya he only watched as he headed to his home. He was left with uncertainty. Could he trust Byakuya's words? If he should, then how could you explain her physical appearance in person? Then again...it could explain why she would collapse and why the others began forgetting who she was. Ichigo was indecisive whether or not to visit the hospital that Byakuya claimed Rukia to be in. "What should I do?"

"About what?"

His father Isshin purposely overheard his son's muttering words. He looked down at his seemingly depressed son slowly walking into the house with such an occupied mind. Ichigo narrowed his eyes over to his father and opened his mouth but stopped his words before they slipped out the insane predicament he'd had been in. "...It's nothing you can fix."

"Is it about Rukia?" Even without Ichigo replying back Isshin knew it to be true. "Hm, so it seems that it is. If you really care for her like you claim to then let her know and I'm sure she'll be fine in the very end."

"You knew about Rukia and Hisana didn't you, dad?"

"Hisana yes but Rukia, I hadn't been sure if she was still admitted. When I saw you bring her to my clinic I was astonished, and speechless," Ichigo had guessed correctly, his own father even knew about it. "I'm going to see if Rukia really was discharged from the hospital tomorrow, will you come to see?"

Go and see if Rukia's in a coma? Go and see if Rukia really had been discharged from the hospital? It's the same thing that Byakuya Kuchiki said. He shook his head to his father. "No, I want to know how I can get everyone to remember Rukia again. I don't want them to forget her it's just not that easy to forget."

"Such determination for young love, wouldn't you say so Ichigo?"

"Shut up, old man." He heard his father chuckle leaving Ichigo to be.

It was settled for him now. He had become determined to make Byakuya's words lies and make his words the damn truth to this story. It was the only possible way for Rukia to stay alive in everyone's memories. God forbid that she'd disappear from his.

Overnight he couldn't sleep and he had lacked it all because he couldn't think of one solution to help out Rukia. What could he possibly do? He for sure couldn't force a student to remember who she was, maybe if he got her to do something that would remind them of her then it would probably work! Just what would that something be though?

"Chocolates...?" It wasn't the greatest idea but at least everyone would remember who gave them sweet chocolate delights right? "Why would I want to make chocolates?"

"Rukia, are you going to make chocolates? That sounds delicious I can't wait to try them! When will you bring them?" At least Orihime knew who she was despite her oblivious personality.

"Tomorrow, she'll have them tomorrow for the whole class."

"I certainly can't wait to try Rukia's homemade chocolates." Ishida commented.

Rukia didn't even bother to oppose what Ichigo had been saying. She got it. She knew what he was trying to do and Rukia could only go with what he was doing. She didn't know why she would allow Ichigo to make her do such a ridiculous thing, Rukia didn't even know how to make chocolates, and wouldn't it be better to buy them instead?

"We're not going to buy them; we're going to make them. It's better this way." So now here they were after school hours inside the culinary arts room. Apron on, ingredients laid out and pots ready on the stove.

"I don't even know how to make chocolate..." Rukia pouted staring at the black pot in front of her. Ichigo sighed telling her that's why he was going to help her make some. Hearing that they were gonna make chocolates for everyone in their homeroom sounded difficult and it just made her tired even before starting the chocolates. Rukia hadn't figured that making chocolate would be so easy she couldn't help but enjoy the moment making delicious sweets.

Rukia glanced over to Ichigo as he finished stirring the liquid chocolate in the pot then averted her eyes over to the pot of chocolate. No matter how many times she reminded herself that Ichigo wouldn't make it in time, she couldn't help but feel some sort of hope towards Ichigo's ideas. The days she spent with him were without a doubt truly the greatest memoirs she could ever ask for, and with each memory she made with him her heart raced with just the thought of it. She loved her memories with him.

"We're almost done," Ichigo placed the wooden stirring spoon on a napkin. "All we have to do is pour the chocolate in the tray and allow it to take its shape."

"Is that all?"

"Yea, that's all." Ichigo gave Rukia the chance to pour the pot of chocolate into the tray. So with steady hands she carefully poured it into the tray allowing the sweet aroma to hover around the room. When she finished she placed the pot on the stove turning it off to let it cool down. "Now that's done we have to let the chocolate cool down so it can take the tray's shape."

"How long will it take?"

"A couple of hours but we can leave them here over night and come to school early to check on them."

"Understood," Rukia reached over to her back to untie her apron but no matter what she just couldn't pull her knot apart. Ichigo had his already hung on the rack and asking him to untie her apron had suddenly become embarrassing. "Ichigo," She turned her back on him pointing to her tight apron knot, and without even asking him he was already on it.

"Geez, how tight did you make this knot?" He asked struggling to pull out the knot apart.

"Sorry, I didn't even realize how tight it was."

Standing there waiting for him to untie the knot took longer then what she anticipated and made her uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable had come from Ichigo being behind her at a close distance. Rukia felt the tugging and pulling the apron she could even imagine the way Ichigo tried to untie her knot.

Even for him it made his hands a bit slightly unsteady. To know that he was at such a close distance to Rukia he couldn't think about the knot. The pounding of his chest distracted him a second or two but he shook it off finally unraveling the dreaded knot. As she pulled the apron off from her body she turned herself around facing Ichigo still at the same close distance. She tightened her grip on the heavy apron gawking up at Ichigo, his hands fidgeted a bit urging to grab her petite body and hold her to tell her that he cares for her, that he loves her. But his hands couldn't do it, so instead they relaxed at his side. 'If you really care for her like you claim to then let her know and I'm sure she'll be fine in the very end.' His dad's voice echoed in his mind during this moment.

He averted his eyes for a second then gazed upon at Rukia. "You know that I won't let anyone forget you..."

She heard his soft voice nodding her head. "I know that you're trying Ichigo, but what if it doesn't work?"

"Then I'll keep trying until it works,"

"Why would you go so far for me?"

"Because I care about you, Rukia, more than I should but for you I'm willing to go so far."

There hadn't been left for either one of them to say another thing. But in the heart of Rukia, she called out to him to keep on trying because in her heart she didn't want to leave his side.

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><p><strong>So what are you guys thinking about this chapter? I wasn't really sure on this one but your opinions matter to me the most! Thanks for reading it!<br>-Dinoraws**


	11. Ichigo

**I can't believe my summer is over...I have school on the 29th! Yay college...anyway, so here you go with the eleventh edition to my story. Now this one, I'm not very positive I found it a bit bland, yet I wrote this like midnight to two in the morning of course. geez. ok, well read away!  
><strong>

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><p><strong>((Chapter 11: Ichigo))<strong>

"I can't believe everyone ate all the chocolates," Rukia was surprised. The red box her chocolates once occupied was officially empty. Not even specs of chocolate had been discovered.

"Don't be surprised at that, everyone in school enjoys chocolates once in a while."

"Hm," She closed the box running to a trash can on the side of the road and threw it away. "I agree with you since I didn't even get to have a single taste of the chocolates I made."

"You made?" Ichigo furrowed his brows glancing down at his agitated friend. "As I recall, I did the majority of the work."

"Don't get smart with me."

"I'm only being honest." He shrugged his shoulders grinning at the irritated expression on Rukia's face. His eyes then averted to an advertising poster pasted on a wall ahead of the two. A poster of a white background with red and black lettering reading about Karakura's Annual Fair opening in two days. On the bottom on the poster he saw the red Farris wheel that Rukia promised to ride it with him. Just thinking that, of the two of them sitting on the cart and watching over Karakura town, it truthfully warmed his heart.

"In just two days...so it's going to be open on Sunday then."

"Hm, you're still going right?"

"Don't doubt me! I still plan on attending the festivity solely for the Ferris wheel."

Ichigo didn't care for the reason just as long as she went to see the Ferris wheel. The mention of the Ferris wheel enlightened her face and Ichigo knew right away that what he was doing was right on the spot. He couldn't wait for Sunday and neither could she.

"Oh, you two!" Ichigo and Rukia turned to see a mild aged man in his ship's uniform. Apparently he owned the ice cream shop the poster had been advertised on. "You're just in time!"

"For...what?"

"No need to ask questions!" The owner approached the two with ease and held such a grip on their hands. "Come inside to try my new ice cream flavors!"

"Ice cream...?" Despite the unforgiving grip, Rukia surely was interested in the ice cream.

"Yes!" Already pulled into the shop the own began scooping up the icy treats into ice cream cup topping it off with pieces of fruit. He walked over to where he sat Ichigo and Rukia placing the treats in front of them. Both Ichigo and Rukia gawked at what was given to them they weren't sure what to do but it would be rude to refuse something that had been given to you already. "Go on try it!" His enthusiasm gave them a little boost to eat on full stomachs.

"Yes sir," They heard his footsteps and seeing from the corner of their eyes the man cheerfully whistled behind the counter organizing cups, cones and spoons for his ice cream. The moment each of their ice cream filled spoons entered their mouths, their taste buds were blown away. "Delicious!"

Rukia was the first to comment. Her smiling face looked at her cup seeing the tasty colors on her treat and then noticed a particular red fruit on her cup. When she picked it up by its tip she showed it Ichigo. "Hey," She called out to Ichigo as he enjoyed his second spoonful. "Ichigo number two!"

"Hm," He grunted towards the red strawberry in Rukia's fingers that were a little too close to his face, not that he minded. "Get that off my face."

"It's not on your face, it's in my hand." She snickered.

"Well get what's in your hand away from my face." He watched as Rukia pulled her hand back biting and eating Ichigo number two. He dug his spoon into his cup of ice cream and continued to eat his treat tolerating each tease Rukia brought up from the strawberries and his name. Just because his name happened to be the same didn't mean he liked them. What could he tease her about? Her height? Yea, right. She never complains about how short she is honestly.

"Oh Ichigo," Rukia lifted herself from her seat looking over him. "Isn't that your family over there?"

"My family...?" Now that she had mentioned it, Ichigo felt that his family had been acting a little strange towards him for the past few days. It had been right after the night his dad and sisters came back from the hospital, Karin and Yuzu told Ichigo why they even went with their dad. But his dad, the look he gave Ichigo after that night, it wasn't a face he liked at all.

"We should go greet them Ichigo,"

Even before he had the chance to protest Rukia was all packed up and ready to go carrying her cup of ice cream. He had a gut feeling that it probably wasn't a good idea to talk with them. And he was right.

Once they exited the shop Ichigo and Rukia crossed over to the other side catching the attention of the Kurosaki family. Yuzu was the first to say hello in usual cheerful voice. "Good afternoon, Ichigo!"

"Hey Yuzu," Even through Yuzu's cheerfulness something had been up between them.

"Hello, Rukia!" Yuzu respectfully bowed to her as Rukia did to Yuzu. The mention of Rukia's name had choked Yuzu up, no longer did she carry her glee look on her face that she had, instead her eyes were blurred from the tears building up and flowing down her cheeks. No matter how hard her eyes tightened, Yuzu never had control over her tears.

"Are you ok, Yuzu?" Asked Rukia.

"It's ok Yuzu," Karin grabbed her sister's shoulder pulling her up from her bow and wiping her face on her arms. "You don't need to cry."

"What are you talking about, Karin?" Ichigo looked down at Rukia concerning over Yuzu. His relaxed hands on his side had become tight fist realizing that he had been right and solely wished he wasn't.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo!" Yuzu exclaimed avoiding the look on her older sibling. "I can't see or even remember Rukia any more like how I used to!"

The spoon Rukia had in her hand clashed down on the sidewalk saddened by the unrealistic truth. He wanted to share her pain yet he couldn't understand the emotions swelled up in Rukia. Blank, sorrow and the dullness in her eyes really didn't say anything to him. What was she feeling?

"All I can remember is a girl in the hospital we visited,"

"...Hospital?" The shaking voice in Rukia's voice came to be heard only through Ichigo's ears. Rukia's eyes widen in fear with Yuzu's words realizing even more that she had been truly disappearing from everyone's memories. This was finally it; this was the time she had been most scared of. Rukia closed her eyes trying to prevent herself from thinking about it. "No... the hospital?"

"Rukia,"

"The moment we stepped out of the room," Isshin spoke warning Ichigo like how he has been. "We didn't know why we went in the first place."

They didn't know why they went to the hospital after stepping out of the room? "How does that even work out, dad?" Ichigo furrowed his brows. "A hospital room can't just alter your memories like that!"

"...I can't explain it to you Ichigo, I just can't."

"How could you forget Rukia after leaving a hospital room? Huh!" The more he talked to them the more he grew angry and the more Rukia grew sadder. "Explain to me how you can forget a person so easily!"

Isshin couldn't explain it to Ichigo because he didn't know how to. The silence between them grew with each passing second unable to say anything anymore. There was one last thing Ichigo could say. So he grabbed the wrist of Rukia and held it high showing it to his dad. "She's right here! She's been here the whole time seeing all of you."

Without saying another word he left his family dragging Rukia with him by her wrist further down into the town. He wanted to get away from the people to not be reminded of what's happening to Rukia.

"Ichigo stop," Rukia called out to him but he had been busy in his own thoughts. "Stop!" She exclaimed in a forceful command and it worked.

She looked up at the back of his head and just as he turned his head sideways, Rukia never thought of seeing Ichigo the way he was at this moment. "Why...why are you-?"

"I care about you Rukia," He began. "I care about you more than I should but I can't help it. I don't want to forget you like how the others are, I just can't."

"You know...that it will happen," Her voice was soft like a whisper.

"No!" He yelled shutting his eyes shut holding Rukia's wrist to his face and sitting on his knees. "I can't let it happen, I can't."

Rukia had enough of what he was telling her, she didn't want to see him like this she wanted to see the old Ichigo she had met before. "Stop it! You're acting like a stubborn child, Ichigo! Face the fact that soon you too will be like them and forget me! Why is it so hard to accept that?"

"Because I love you! That's why I can't accept it all!" His eyes matched up with Rukia's, his confession made her unable react. "That's why I'm like this!"

Rukia relaxed her whole body then sat down on her knees. She kept quiet not saying a word back to Ichigo. Her free hand raised and rested on Ichigo's face wiping away the tears he cried this whole time they were yelling at each other. Rukia pulled him in to embrace his Ichigo and the feeling of his warmth made things a little better, to have him in her arms made her feel a little better as well. "I love you Ichigo,"

From their embrace, their foreheads touched drawing their faces closer and when the space between them closed up, her lips and his lips shared a passionate kiss in the evening sky with no one to see or know about it.

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><p><strong>...So was that ok? Did it pass with barely floating and not flying colors? Well I can offically say that this story is almost over, and I do plan on writing a one shot for these two love birds ;D Speaking of which, did anybody see the reunion of Death and Strawberry in the new Bleach Manga? I was so relieved and overjoyed and laughed at her hardship with Ichigo! He deserved getting kicked on his face for giving up, turning into a sissy and crying over the situation! GRR.<br>-DinoRaw**


	12. Hands

((Chapter 12: Hands))

No longer had the name Rukia Kuchiki existed on the attendance roll or to anyone who once knew Rukia. So there had been no reason for her to stay at school but yet, there she sat in her desk looking up at the lecturing teacher. She sat there as if everyone could see her and listened to what her teacher said, even if he didn't know she was listening to him.

...Why do you keep longing to be remembered Rukia?

That same voice had finally returned it surprised her but her face remained blank. The very question it asked her, honest to truth, she did not have an answer to reply. Why would she want to be remembered?

...Is it for that boy Ichigo? Is he your reason why you continue to stay here?

Was it...was it because of him that she'd longed to stay here? Yes, yes because if it weren't for him finding her she would have given up on becoming memorable. She wouldn't have had the friends he had or the fun memories with them either! Every recent memory was all because of him, a boy who she fell in impossibly in love with. Wasn't that good of a reason to stay and not be forgotten? Apparently it wasn't.

When the bell rang for their lunch break Ichigo followed Rukia to the rooftop of the school, a place where no one would be at today just them. The two sat against the fence together in silence holding each other's hand. Nothing was said between the two for neither had anything to say.

"Ichigo," His eyes and head lifted up to see familiar faces. "We've been looking for you." Ishida said in his uncaring voice. He stud side by side with Orihime and their tall friend Chad, all three of them had forgotten who Rukia was. He gawked at them waiting patiently to hear what they had to say to him. In the depressed state that he was not only concerned them bur frustrated them unable to get through Ichigo to open up to them. "You could at least tell us what's wrong, Ichigo, we've been worrying over you these past few days! I thought we were your closest friends, not just Rukia!"

"Ishida..." Orihime gently tugged the sleeve to his uniform.

Surely what came out from his mouth intrigued Ichigo to his best. Hearing her name come out from another person's mouth other than his own brought him a bit of hope even if it's the slightest bit.

"...What?" He slowly stud up. "Whose name did you just say?"

None of his intentions ever related to him blurting out such a sentence or an unknown name for sure. Nowhere in his memories did he recall a student or a girl by the name of Rukia before. He couldn't figure out why he would blurt out such words. "...Rukia." Even by just saying her name, it brought chills down his spine.

"Do you remember her, Ishida?"

"It only slipped my mind Ichigo. I don't even know who Rukia is." He crossed her arms onto his chest.

"I thought you'd remember her, I thought...you would all remember."

"Remember who, Ichigo?" Ishida's tone rose to frustration. He didn't like to see his friend like this none of the others did either. Ichigo had mentioned Rukia once or twice prior to now but no one knew who or what he was talking about. Talking about someone who didn't exist, was it wrong for them to assume he wasn't well psychologically? Or was it possible that they really could've forgotten this Rukia person? After all, Ichigo had no reason to lie or act this way. Rukia glanced to Ishida then Orihime and finally Chad. Her dull eyes had the temptation of drowning themselves in tears however not one tear had streamed down her face. The shock of her reality really had sunk in and pained her heart. The people who she trusted and befriended were unaware of who she is or who she was.

"Rukia! Her name is Rukia!" The echoes ran down the hall from Ichigo's raising voice as a few students quickly looked over to the group of friend's and quietly whispered to themselves strolling away from the dramatic scene. The silence from all three classmates gave the answer to Ichigo. He shouldn't have been surprised yet he was. He clenched his teeth together relaxing his body with his brows only furrowed down. He calmed himself down before talking to them. "She passed out the chocolates she made to our class..."

"Yesterday?" Asked Orihime. "We had a test yesterday."

That had done it. Rukia averted her eyes elsewhere bow gazing at the students who walked by with textbooks and composition notebooks. How could it be that Ichigo is the only one who sees her, who remembers her? Was it all from the first moment they met? Was it because of that reason? She closed her eyes and recalled the moment they first met eye to eye. When she opened her eyes again the students with textbooks were gone.

Everything that Ichigo wanted for Rukia seemed to alter itself again, but is that reality, when nothing goes your way? You'd only get what chance gives you and if it gives you what you desired you're extremely lucky. "Ichigo," When Orihime reached out to touch his arm he rejected her feel and moved his arm away from her hand. She withdrew her hand but she didn't withdraw her words. "Maybe there is something we can do to help you..."

He didn't look at the trio of friend's when he responded back to them. "No, there really isn't." there wasn't anything else for Ichigo to say to them. Orihime opened her mouth wanting to talk to him, wanting to get through to him though Chad rested his hand on her shoulder shaking his head side to side only to look at Ichigo and see his face of disappointment and sorrow. Without a single word they left him returning back to their homeroom. Ichigo's back was turned to Rukia when he talked with her again.

"Why did I tell them that? Why did I tell them that they couldn't do anything for me when I can't do anything for you?" He muttered. Rukia turned her head over seeing the back side of Ichigo. Rukia furrowed her brows together, closed her eyes and took a breath before resting her petite hand on Ichigo's broad shoulder. His only reaction was that to glance down at her.

"You can still do something for me, Ichigo. You promised to take me to the Ferris wheel."

"The Ferris Wheel...?"

He did promise her. That time they were together she mentioned that her brother Byakuya and sister Hisana took her to the festival once but she didn't like it she only found the Ferris wheel the most entertaining. Since she told him, he had the idea of taking her to the festival to ride the Ferris wheel and he really meant it to. The festival was already open and still going on until next month; would it be okay if they went to the festival tonight? Yea it would be nice if h and Rukia could go together, he didn't want to imagine the worse but this could be the last time he'll ever remember Rukia.

He went home to where his sister Yazu greeted him with so much glee and received a hug from her as well. Karin waved hello to him after Yazu released her hug from him. Ichigo narrowed his eyes everywhere in the house looking in almost every room before Yazu came to him with a smile of concern. "Dad isn't home right now; he had to go to city's hospital for a conference about clinics."

"Oh," It was unusual but he really did miss his dad when he left especially now. By looking at Yazu and then Karin he knew they had already forgotten Rukia right after they confessed to him about it in tears. "Yazu, I'm going out today so will you and Karin be alright by yourselves?"

"You're going out, Ichigo? Are you going to the festival?" The smile she grew on her face lightened his mood by the slightest.

"Yea I am. Do you want something while I'm there?"

She shook her head side by side still smiling out from glee. "No it's okay brother! I just want you to have a good time with your friends! Karin and I will be fine by ourselves, besides, dad will be back in twenty minutes!" He didn't say anything else instead he patted the top of her head with his hand and walked into his room to change into a fresher outfit for the festival tonight. When he picked out his outfit and changed into them, he noticed a piece of paper lying on his desk so he picked it up.

It was Rukia's. The way he knew it was hers was from the unique style of her art portraying bunnies as people.

It surprised him that it actually caused the muscles from his face to stretch into a grin. He folded the paper into halves and placed it back to where he got it from. He looked out through his window seeing the sky already in sunset colors. He turned away heading out of his room and as he entered through the dining room Karin and Yazu were already consuming their homemade dinner they made together. Their eyes caught him walking by so they waved at him as he stepped closer to the door telling him to watch out during the night and to have a good time.

Ichigo watched as Yazu closed and locked the door after he left them. With his hands in his pockets he quietly walked alone in the evening sky towards the festival where Rukia awaited him. They promised to meet at the festival within an hour. The path he took would reach the event in time and maybe a little early than he had expected. He was able to see the Ferris wheel from where he had been walking glancing at the red lights it was embedded with. He wandered if Rukia will choose to go there first or maybe she'll choose to walk together with him until she's ready to go, whatever her choice he just wanted to make the memories with her everlasting.

He stopped walking already standing near the entrance if the festival. He looked left and right seeing if Rukia was around so far not yet, it made him anxious but he relaxed. "Ichigo." The sound of her voice caught his undivided attention turning back to see her. She had a soft smile something he hadn't seen her wear in a long time.

"Rukia," He couldn't help it either. He wanted to wear the smile she had and did. "Are you ready?"

"Yea, of course."

Rukia and Ichigo walked side by side entering the crowded festival. Ichigo, prior to arriving, had thought hard on how to make Rukia enjoy her time here tonight and brainstormed an idea however, he wasn't sure it was okay with her so he insisting on going for it. With his right hand by his side and Rukia's left hand on her side he extended his fingers out entwining them with hers. Neither of them made any form of eye contact but tonight they would enjoy the night hand in hand.

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><p><strong>Okay guys, I really do want to apologize for not being able to update since the last chapter . but now it's here and I'm glad to have updated and we're getting real close to the ending! I do hope that you guys still read this story! I'm sorry for the long time space between this update and last one. Well, I hope you will leave your comment and concerns in the review! Thanks for reading!<strong>

**-DinoRaws**


	13. Ferris Wheel

**Whoo! Ok, well here is the 13th chapter to my IchiRukia fanfic. I do hope that this story hasn't been boring or uninteresting to you all. But anway, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter! **

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><p><strong>((Chapter 13: Ferris Wheel))<strong>

She never had expected to have this much fun at a festival, especially one that she had already attended before. The decorative lights that glimmered around the festival were colorful and a beautiful mix to the night's dark sky and shining stars. The music playing through the speakers were loud, throbbing and energetic as it played through the many pairs of ears in tonight's festivities. Rukia enjoyed the booth games and activities more than everything else, she even convinced Ichigo to help her win a Chappy doll through a game similar to wheel of fortune.

Ichigo hadn't mind the annoying pleas she gave to him whenever it came to Chappy but he had done what age asked of him to get it over with. He had seen a few people glancing over to him wondering why he had been laughing and talking to himself but he disregarded them only paying attention to Rukia. He figured that she knew about those people who would stare so she would find quick ways to distract him from them, when he caught on to this he was content that she had done it to keep him occupied. She was actually enjoying herself and that made him glad to know. She was all that he wanted to focus on now and that's what he did.

"I still don't understand why you think this doll is cute. It's obviously not." Ichigo held the Chappy doll from behind its stuffed head glaring at such a happy wise doll.

"I like it because it's cute! I don't see how you could think the opposite."

"Well I can," He placed the doll flat on its face receiving an angry stare from Rukia. He didn't mind since she was never intimidating from the start. She threw her head back arching her brow up and to his surprise Rukia had slammed a stuffed animal on their table. He looked at it as if it were a dish he disliked. The thing in front of him was questionable. "What the he'll is that?"

Rukia smirked crossing her arms on her chest grinning in success. "Your very own stuffed animal!"

"I'm not ten years old anymore," He flicked it on the head using his thumb and middle finger watching as it only slid three inches back from its original spot. "I don't need toys, besides, where did you get this?"

"I took it from that man working the basketball booth," Rukia pointed in the direction of his booth. Ichigo watched the man announce the rules of his game and displaying the many prizes he had hanging.

"You stole this from that man?"

Rukia pushed it closer to Ichigo watching his facial expression turn into annoyance. She had enjoyed it very much. "You wouldn't want to reject a gift from me would you?"

"Why is his head the shape of the sun?" He pulled on the animal's features gawking at the lion Rukia presented him with. "I can't believe they actually make this kind of toys for people."

"Kon."

"Kon?" Ichigo repeated. He arched his brow glancing at Rukia; she had her palms support her face as she took a couple of sips from his drink.

"Kon. That's his name, it suits him doesn't it Ichigo?"

"Kon, huh?" He pushed down on Kon's face feeling the urge to do so even without a reason to do it. Just by gawking at his smiling lion face he had been annoyed by it. But on the other hand it was a gift from Rukia, even if she did steal it from the man. He sighed then grinned at his gift he received, he really didn't need a stuff toy but he'd make this an exception since it came from Rukia. When he looked up at Rukia her head turned to the side gazing at the slowly rotated Ferris wheel as its lights shinned brightly in the dark sky. Her facial expression was calm and beautiful in Ichigo's eyes and wished he could hold her face in his hands. "Do you want to go the Ferris wheel now?"

He asked as Rukia turned facing him. "...I really do. Do you mind if we go?"

He shook his head collecting the trash from the table and throwing it away wiping his hands clean with a napkin. When he walked back to Rukia he reached his hand out for hers and they continued their path to the line of the Ferris wheel. He was surprised to find this line very short considering how popular the ride is usually, well, he was kind of glad now that he'll get on the Ferris Wheel quicker with Rukia. He wanted to spend the time alone with Rukia and open up to her even more.

"The last time I came here with Byakuya and Hisana," Rukia started. "Byakuya proposed to my sister. He asked me the day before if I would accept him as my brother in law."

"Byakuya asked you that? What'd you say to him?"

"I told him yes of course, he made my sister Hisana very happy."

The memory she had talked about, not one part of her face looked the slightest of sorrow. She remembered and shared her happiness with Ichigo exactly what she wanted to do because she thought it was important to do so. Ichigo had begun reaching for Rukia's face to caress but the man who worked with the Ferris wheel began placing people inside the carts and Ichigo and Rukia were up next after the many groups that were in front.

The man tipped his cap to Ichigo opening the carts door waiting for him to get on before closing the door. Ichigo sat down on the cushioned seat of the cart already looking out the glass window gazing as the people passed by or stayed to watch. The Ferris wheel moved upward slowly as both Ichigo and Rukia gazed out the scene through their window. The scenery of Karakura's lights from the citizens homes were a sight to see. The people walked around the festival enjoying themselves, some stopped behind the bar fence to watch as the Ferris wheel slowly went around in a circle snapping photos for their memories here tonight. "It's more beautiful than what I remember," Rukia smiles down at the city of Karakura town as the lights reflected off from the window to her eyes. "Thank you so much Ichigo."

"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything else, Rukia."

She readjusted her body to face him completely. She wanted to tell him what was in her heart, the things that he did for he wasn't even aware of. "You're empty minded as usually Ichigo. You don't even realize what you've done to make me happy, you stuck by my side all this time without abandoning me. You made my heart fill up with happiness you enlightened my life with the friend's you introduced me to and your family. These days that I've had with you were worth every second of my time with you. You say that you couldn't do anything to help me but you did, you did something that no one else could."

"I don't understand what I did, Rukia. Everyone is forgetting you and I can't help them remember..."

...Now I understand Rukia. The reason why you still choose to stay.

"You were the only one who heard my voice when others couldn't and that made me the most happiest that I've ever been."

Ichigo, without a single hesitation jumped up from his seat to embrace Rukia with his emotions all pouring out to her and she returned the gesture to him. He pulled her down from her seat to her knees never wanting to release her from his grip. He placed his forehead against hers staring emotionally to her eyes.

"Is there a chance that I'll forget you? "He whispered to her moving his hand to the back of her head.

Rukia shut her eyes tightly despising the words that poured from his mouth, words she had hoped to avoid. When she clenched onto Ichigo's shirt she had noticed something, she raised her hand behind Ichigo's back and gawked at her transparent hand. With only one person able to remember Rukia, her existence was no longer needed. She was vanishing from everyone completely."...Yes, in a matter of time you won't remember who I am." She placed her transparent hand back on his back unable to feel the material of his shirt.

"...Promise me Rukia," He hadn't opened his eyes yet afraid that he'll release the tears he kept holding in. "That if I do forget you, promise me that you'll say hi to me, that'll you be my friend until we die no matter how stubborn I get."

She nodded her head against his feeling his hair brush against her forehead. "I promise Ichigo." She opened her eyes unleashing the tears she kept in all night before Ichigo opened his to see her face. To remember the face of the one he loves and treasures. Without any regrets behind his actions, he leaned in close to Rukia's face and locked his lips with hers sharing their kiss together. He kissed her like he never kissed her before it was their last kiss for who knows when and he wanted it to be unforgettable.

...All along it was because of Ichigo.

Their kiss had lasted until the Ferris wheel moved again. In the heat of the moment they were together giving kisses to each other again and again. Rukia wrapped her arms loosely on his neck seeing the transparency move down to her elbows, just like her hands, she couldn't feel his body anymore. When placed her arms onto of her knees, Ichigo looked at her confused and frighten. "Why...why are you like this?"

Rukia didn't know why but she had a good theory as to why it was happening to her. Tonight, Ichigo would forget her completely. "The promise we made, I'll make sure to keep it alive."

Ichigo stretched out to touch her hands but his fingers passed through hers. It was finally coming true, the day Rukia would disappear from his life and he wouldn't even remember all the memories they had made together. He couldn't forget and he didn't want to. Why couldn't life be the way he wanted it to go? "I wanna change my promise Rukia!" His eyes were beginning to sting.

"What do you mean?" The more time he wasted the quicker Rukia was going away.

"If I do forget you, I want you to say hi to me every day even if I think you're weird doing it!" He grabbed her shoulders seeing the tears flow down her cheeks. The same happened to him. "But I don't you to be my friend I want you to make me fall in love with you all over again, Rukia! I love you...I love you and I don't want to forget it."

"Ichigo," The tears that built up in her eyes were finally flowing down her soft cheeks as she cried out onto his shoulders. Burying her head on him, she muttered what she wanted to say for a very long time. "I love you too." Ichigo and Rukia were in a still position of embracing each other just as Rukia begun to fade away from his memories, from everyone. With silence in the air, Ichigo felt no body warmth in his embrace because there had been no one with him in the cart of the Ferris wheel. He stud from his knees and sat back down on his seat wiping his face from his tears and gazing at the window seeing the nicely light night city of Karakura Town, his hometown. His cart had made the complete turn of the circle and the door opened by the operator of the calm ride.

He tipped his hat before saying, "I hope you enjoyed your ride sir." Ichigo nodded his head waving his hand up to him. Walking away from the ride he hid his hands inside his jean's pockets sightseeing the festival. He continued his way further out from the festival to the city's lake area where he sat on the grass field. He took out the lion animal from inside his jacket and placed it on top of his stomach using a single finger to gold it straight up. "Kon..." Ichigo whispered. "You may be useful after all. If I do forget Rukia, you'll always be my visible memory of her. Even if I don't remember why."

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><p><strong>Well, I'm positive that ya'll know what's going to happen in the next chapter which leads me to bring up the fact that the 14th chapter of my first IchiRukia fanfic is the last chapter of the story and it will soon be updated to be complete whenever you search it in . I hope that i'm not disappointing anyone of you readers but if i am i'm so sorry that I did and if you could let me know about it! Ah~! Alright, well enjoy the rest of your day! See you in the last chapter readers :)<strong>

**-DinoRaws aka Liz. **


	14. Voice

**Well readers, here is the final chapter to 'A Voice Forgotten', I do hope you enjoy reading this story and we'll talk at the end. Enjoy.  
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><p><strong>((Chapter 14: Voice))<strong>

Ichigo removed the sheets from his body looking at the sun's rays shining brightly through his window. He turned his body over to sit on the edge of the bed reaching out to grab the lion that was on his desk. He toyed with the mane surrounding the lion's head and turned him around searching for something. He saw Kon's face which always annoyed him even if he didn't remember the significance behind the lion doll. "Why can't you tell me who gave you to me?" Ichigo muttered. "Then again...you look like you'd talk too much," Kon was placed back on his desk. "And a pervert."

He stud up from his bed dressing into his casual clothing to meet with his friends on this Sunday morning for breakfast. "Be careful, brother! Take care of yourself!" His sister Yazu exclaimed from the door frame of her house waving her arm side to side watching Ichigo leave raising his arm up, a symbol of saying 'see you later'. He continued to walk the sidewalk heading out to the other side of town wondering what he would order for brunch with his friends today.

He sighed placing his hands inside the pockets of his leather jacket, and then he felt something inside his pocket. He took it out holding a folded piece of paper in his palm. He never recalled pocketing a folded paper into his jacket. He unfolded the paper furrowing his brows the moment he viewed what was on the paper.

"Rabbits...?"

He figured that it was from his sister Yazu since Karin wouldn't have done this sort of picture. His eyes averted to the top of the page. "Chappy..."

He looked at it a bit more flipping it to the other side but it was blank so he turned it back over folding it slowly and back into his pocket. It was a weird moment in the morning but he kept moving on thinking he'll ask Yazu about the picture later.

His walk seemed lonely. He felt strange everyday whenever he looked down to his right. He shook his head ignoring his new habit. "Ichigo!" He looked up seeing the group of friends that waited for him. Each of them headed inside the diner grabbing a table enough to seat them all. They were the loudest group inside the diner but no one mind at all, they weren't actually bothering anyone inside. It was their youth that they couldn't waste.

"We're going to the festival?" Ichigo asked stuffing his mouth from his plate.

"Yea, Orihime wanted to go with all of us before the festival closes down tomorrow." Tatsuki said smiling at her bubbly friend who sat next to her.

"I hope you don't mind going Ichigo." Orihime twisted her fingers around her orange hair feeling shame for not asking him if he wanted to go in the beginning. He chewed and gulped his food down giving her a small smile. He wouldn't let his friend's down, that's something he couldn't afford to do.

"I never knew the festival opened during the day."

Ichigo ate his plate silently listening to his friend's conversation laughing along to the jokes and funny comments Tatsuki made every once in a while. Ichigo averted his eyes over to the window glancing at the people passing by the diner. Each of them seemed happy with couples were holding hands chattering away, kids talked their mom and dad to buy them the latest toy. A smiling girl had walked in front of the window carrying some groceries on her arm. She reached in to grab a strawberry and before she could eat it a few kids bumped into her causing the strawberry to fall and roll onto the ground. She picked it up pouting at the dirty strawberry so instead she walked closer to the window and threw the red fruit into the trashcan. Before she continued on she was surprised to see Ichigo staring at her.

Ichigo couldn't do anything once she caught him staring at her. Instead of the normal reaction of giving him a weird and distorting face, she smiled and waved.

She left before he could do anything to respond.

It was a face he never saw in his life, she smiled at a stranger like him who had unconsciously gawked at her every passing movement. His face tainted in red realizing how long he looked at the strange girl.

He thought to himself he was a creep by doing that to her.

"Ichigo, are you ready to go?"

He faced Ishida standing up from the chair he sat in. "Of course, let's go."

Crowed, the festival was even busy during this time on an early day. It seemed better to come in the evening however the plan was to come during this time to enjoy everyone's company. They were undecided on which ride to ride first and which booth to play after eventually they had figured it out by flipping a yen coin. The coin had flipped 'yes' for the most thrilling ride in the festival but Orihime didn't have the stomach for it, she insisted everyone to go while she waited. Ichigo volunteered to wait with her.

She sat down on the bench watching as her friend flopped down sighing the moment he sat down with his eyes closed. "Are you ok Ichigo?"

He opened one eye to look at her. "Hm yea, why do you ask?"

"You seem...a little strange today."

"Is that so...?" He looked up at the sky spotting groups of clouds hovering over the sun and closed his eyes.

He couldn't respond to her with nothing more than a question answering a question. He asked himself that as well, he wondered if he were truly okay, if not, then what was wrong with him? What was the cause of his strange behavior? The muscles on the left side of his mouth formed a small grin.

Orihime looked over to him sheepishly. His head was held back resting uncomfortably on the headrest of the bench as his hair swayed to the movements of the wind. His long slim leg stretched out as people avoided being tripped, kids once in a while jumped over his leg. He kept in silence hearing the many voices of the people at the festival, hearing the rides and games being played by the townspeople, he heard them all in silence bringing his eyebrows down wondering and asking himself what was he wanting to hear in his silence. What, why, or how was he listening for that kept him silent and patient?

"Ichigo," he opened his eyes to the voice but it wasn't what he listened for. He turned to face Orihime. "Would you like to ride the Ferris wheel with me?"

He didn't respond to her verbally but he nodded in agreement. Together side by side they walked in the path of the Ferris wheel the lines were shorter solely because the ride had been more popular in the night. The closer they got the more Orihime's face lit up and her eyes gleamed at the sight of the rotating wheel carrying the riders inside its carts.

A pain suddenly occurred around Ichigo's temples, he clenched his teeth and quietly muttered in response to the sharpness he had going on. Unexpected as it was, it disappeared as quickly as it came.

Orihime and Ichigo finally stud in line with about four people in front of them, then, the pain had returned. It lasted longer than he anticipated yet it disappeared again. These pains were unexpected and he never had them before not even when he was actually ill. He glanced down to see if Orihime had even noticed the sudden pains that he had but she kept herself busy by watching the Ferris wheel rotate slowly for its passengers to climb out of the cart. The line shortened every time a cart was emptied and refilled by new passengers. Now it was their turn to ride it as a pair as their cart slowly came to its stop the door opened releasing two couples laughing at their inside joke they had while riding the Ferris wheel. The operator of the Ferris wheel tipped his hat as they left without saying anything and smiled looking at Ichigo and Orihime. She smiled entering the cart looking back as Ichigo slowly paced himself. He ducked his head avoiding collision between the metal framing and his forehead, his hand reached out to help support his carefulness by touching the inside of the cart.

His pain returned again.

He had never experienced this type of sharp pain ever before but it pained him that it literally threw him back out of the cart. His eyes shut hearing the concerning voices of Orihime, the gentle operator and those in line behind him. His shortness of breath made things more difficult. "Ichigo! Ichigo!" Orihime's voice had suddenly disappeared along with everything else except his heartbeat. Hearing the pounding noise a picture flashed itself inside his mind for only a few seconds. They weren't clear but he was sure he'd seen these pictures before...but he couldn't recall any of it, his memories were vague and not vivid.

The more he heard his heart beat the more the clearer the pictures became, he saw himself happy and content with someone he hadn't seen before. He kept seeing more of these suppressed memories wondering why he couldn't remember the person he was with...he kept asking himself the same question again and again until he saw a memory of their time together spent at the same festival riding the Ferris wheel.

He saw clearly that the two of them were the most happiest together.

But the saddest when they were apart, like they were now.

The sound of his heart disappeared, his eyes shot open seeing hazy scenery and gasping for air realizing the clues that were left behind for him were her memories with Ichigo.

"Ichigo! Are you okay, Ichigo?" Orihime held his hand in hers.

He couldn't stay here any longer, he had to go back. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry."

He had to leave everyone to go to her, the girl he couldn't forget any more. He met eyes with Orihime jerking his hand back apologizing for his sudden leave to her, he turned away from her running in the direction he remembered taking to see her. Orihime called back but she was easily ignored, it wasn't personal but he needed to see her right now. He weaved through the crowds of people avoiding to the trouble of hitting someone by accident. He stopped at a street that connected to the festival to make sure he went the right way by turning his head back and looking ahead. When he was certain, Ichigo kept sprinting down the sidewalk that lead him to a busy street, with his carelessness and rushing, he had been unaware of the cars that were about to go, and at the sound of the car horns he stepped back surprised at the loudness of each horn and had been allowed to cross the street to the other side continuing his never ending journey to her.

He was running out of breath, breathing heavier with each corner he turned into but he had made it to the neighborhood that he remembered seeing from the memories he carried with him. He wiped his forehead down with his sleeve removing the sweat he had produced while sprinting down here and then stopped after turning on the familiar corner. He walked a short distance breathing through his mouth and nostrils, the heart pounding in his chest felt as if his heart wanted to bump past his skin. He walked in front of the house seeing a figure plant down bright flowers on the side of the house, he had been unnoticed by her but the man behind her noticed him.

He didn't say anything to let her know he was here. Ichigo grabbed onto the fenced gate surrounding their home hoping she'd see him. She sighed removing her gloves and standing from her crouching position. Ichigo was the first person she saw as she looked in his direction.

The girl by the window who threw her dirty strawberry away and waved at him, she was that girl. Of course she was. Didn't she promise no matter how stubborn he was she'd waved 'Hi' to him?

"Ichigo..." her voice was exactly what he wanted to hear.

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><p><strong>And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, the final chapter to my ever first IchiRukia fanfic. I know I could've done better but I am content with what I had and I'm kinda sad that this story is over, I've could've developed the story more but I couldn't brainstorm well enough. *tears* So, now that you've completed this fanfic, I would love to hear your opinions on anything, your questions that you had throughout the story and concerns over everything involving this story! Again, I do hope that you enjoyed reading my story, I do plan on making another IchiRukia story, however, I cannot commit to it yet since I have not completed my fanfic for Mimato ( Mimi x Yamato from Digimon ) and I do not have any ideas for another ichiRukia, but bare with me and I will surely have another fic about these two love birds sooner than you think! :D Thank you for your commitment to following this story! Love you all!<strong>

-DinoRaws aka Liz

IchiRukia Forever!


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